Big Fire Rages in Bangkok City

[Nawtilus]

Report just come in of big fire around suk soi 20.

Foreigners dead, maybe hotel. 3 Fire trucks stuck in traffic and trying to do U turns and going nowhere.

[lingling]

Report just come in of big fire around suk soi 20.

Foreigners dead, maybe hotel. 3 Fire trucks stuck in traffic and trying to do U turns and going nowhere.

Strange, there is a fire station on Sukumvit 22 with a shortcut to 20.

[samtam]

I've been watching it from my balcony in Sathorn. Appears to be in the polo ground land. Massive flames. There was a similar one last year in the slums of Klong Toei, and this I suspect is in the slum area behind Rama IV.

[Farma]

Thai news is saying it is the slums opposite Sirikit centre

[terry57]

cricky's, glad im not on duty.

[Nawtilus]

He said firetrucks stuck around soi 20 and that a motorbike guy told him it was near sirikit, another said a hotel, so not sure just yet. Presume the soi22 trucks are the ones stuck.

[adad]

It's on Soi 16, the whole area around the Balee Laos restaurant - fear the place's gone by the looks of it [from my apartment near 16]. Actually the fire is from Ratchada road all the way into Soi 16, i.e. near the door steps of Garden Grove Suites.

BIG fire - flames at least 10 stories high, explosions heard every other second. At the moment not under control yet.

[Tywais]

Thai news is saying it is the slums opposite Sirikit centre

That's what my wife just said also. Was a breaking news announcement but no pictures/videos yet.

[tuky]

adad, Can you take any photos, we will make it a thaivisa news report with credit to you.

[Farma]

The Nation breaking news has a story about the fire now. 50 homes gutted with firefighters battling strong winds and possible water shortages.

[george]

Firefighters still fight a blaze at Singthoe community

BANGKOK: -- Firefighters have still failed to distinguish a fire at Singthoe Community opposite Queen Sirikit Convention Hall on Rama IV Road on Thursday which already gutted to the ground about 50 houses.

At about 7.30pm, the firefighters with some 30 fire engines still fight the fire that broke out at about 6.30pm. The blast is reported to approach a building of Metropolitan Electricity Office near the community.

Police have to close traffic at Asoke Intersection and Ratchada-Rama IV road. Community radios suggested commuters to stay away from the fire areas.

The fire fighters had face shortage of water, so they had to ask for helps from nearby districts. Strong wind had obstructed the attempt to put the fire.

--The Nation 2006-12-21

[jeebusjones]

I happened to be in a taxi on my way to Asoke. We came up to the spot and couldn't go any further, the road was pretty well blocked with dozens of firetrucks and ambulances.

I got out and went up on a footbridge and watched the blaze for about an hour. I've never seen anything like it... Massive flames, an ENORMOUS column of black smoke and ashes spewing at least a couple hundred meters into the sky.

On the main street, in addition to the swarms of firefighters and onlookers, were also the homeless... People had carried all the belongings they could, and you could see piles of clothes, blankets, plates and utensils and other crap. Quite a sight.

When I left the flames seemed to be a bit more under control, though firetrucks were still arriving regularly. I was actually quite impressed with how organized the response seemed.

[astral]

Firefighters still fight a blaze at Singthoe community

BANGKOK: -- Firefighters have still failed to distinguish a fire

Even I can distinguish a fire from something else.

Did they mean EXTINGUISH??

[tpthai2]

We watched from our condo on Suk. 30/1. I heard several explosions but assumed it was fireworks until I observed from the window. Massive flames and smoke. Reported 50 homes down in this area (slum) means these people will need some help. I'm in. Anyone have an path to helping the displaced with money, cloths and or other necessities?

[adad]

adad, Can you take any photos, we will make it a thaivisa news report with credit to you.

Here, angle is from Rama 4 towards Sukhumvit, with QSNCC on the left.

Ratchadapisek road runs on the left of the picture.

A closer look at the fire

Edited December 21, 2006 by adad

[taxexile]

wonder who owns that prime piece of land ?

[Wolfie]

Yep.. thats a fire alright.

[JCCR6]

50 Houses is a massive over exaggeration. The fire was about 5 houses maximum. It was near the end of Soi 16, not in the so-called slums. The electricity in my apartment went out for some time (about 30 meters away from the fire).

[Sulaphat]

Pre-construction site clearance/squatter eviction. Often occurs just prior to New Year/Chinese New Year.

[Jonson83]

The OP said it was a hotel and tourists had been killed....why????

Anyhoo,lets hope no one got to badly hurt.

[Nawtilus]

Cos that was the information I got when it first came through....it also said maybe a hotel, also did not say tourists, said foreigners. See your guilty also !!

But some thais in the area witnessing it passed on this info.....soap opera I guess.

[markuk]

yes electric was off for ages and no traffic on soi 16, had to walk home - bloody inconvenience!!

[Jimjim]

Know of anywhere where I could see more pictures? Bangkok Post and The Nation websites rarely have many pictures.

[slimdog]

Looks like there is another one:

Fire breaks out at Town in Town Inn on Rama IV road

Fire broke out at ten-storeyed Town In Town Inn on Rama IV Road Friday morning and firefighters are trying to rescue people stuck inside.

The fire broke out at about 10.20am at the inn which has been open for long and short term accommodations. Witnesses said they saw people in the inn taking emergency fire exit to escape the blaze.

Firefighters and police use helicopters to rescue people stuck inside.

source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingne...newsid=30022260

Also a report of a fire on Si Phraya, maybe the same one..

Apartment on fire; people trapped

(Bangkokpost.com)

More than 20 people are being trapped on the roof of an apartment building in Si Phraya area which is currently on fire.

A helicopter is on the way to rescue victims.

Police said the 10-storey-building Si Phraya Tower Inn caught on fire a little after 10 a.m. They suspected that the fire broke out at a kitchen and coffee shop on the second floor.

Some of the residents fled the flame by running outside the building while others who were stuck on the fifth floor have been rescued by a cable car.

More than 10 people, both Thai and foreigners, have been rescued so far.

Edited December 22, 2006 by slimdog

[Jai Dee]

Massive slum fire renders hundreds homeless

Hundreds of slum dwellers have to brace chilling weather and settled in tents after a massive fire destroyed over 100 shanty houses at a big Bangkok squatter community Thursday night.

The fire broke out at about 6:30 pm and quickly spread to engulf some 100 houses on two-rai area of the slum community opposite Queen Sirikit Convention Hall on Rama IV Road.

Some 30 fire engines could only prevent the blaze from further spreading and waited three hours for the fire to consume itself.

The blaze also spread to a building of Metropolitan Electricity Office near the community and destroyed some 20 official vehicles there.

Police have to close traffic at Asoke Intersection and Ratchada-Rama IV road. Community radios suggested commuters to stay away from the roads near the blaze site.

The fire fighters faced shortage of water, so they had to ask for helps from nearby districts. Strong wind had obstructed the attempts to put the fire.

Dwellers of the community ran out for their life and grabbed with them what they could.

So far, there was no casualty report.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Wallop Suwandee rushed to the scene. He said over 100 houses on two-rai area were destroyed but the Klong Toey district officials had yet to survey the number of affected people.

The district officials put up tents for the homeless people to live and handed out foods and drinks to them.

Initially, police said the fire started from a furniture shop inside the community but Wallop said he leant that the blaze began at a temporary shelter of construction workers at mouth of the soi.

Tueng Boondaeng, 39, recounted that he notice the blaze at the back of the community so he alerted his wife. He said he could take out his motorcycle while his wife carried with her a TV set. The couple lost other belongings in the blaze.

Samphan Chaobuayai, 53, said he could only grabbed his household registration and a record book of his room renting business while fleeing.

Nuanchan Penmadee, 48, said she was frightened and ran for her life without taking anything with her. All of her belongings were gone in the fire.

Source: The Nation -22 December 2006

[JCCR6]

"Hundreds of slum dwellers have to brace chilling weather"

Chilling weather in Bangkok... LOL!

It's a terrible thing to happen, and its also really bad the way this has been over exaggerated further by The Nation, both in the number of houses and type of housing.

[Tony Clifton]

To most Thais it has been cold the last few days.

We experience -30 Celsius temperatures quite often where I'm from. Living here 3 years now and last night I had to wear pyjamas, a jacket and slippers.

One of the victims could tell you " May you burn in hel_l" :lol"

Edited December 22, 2006 by Tony Clifton

[markuk]

looked past it today all flattened!

[King Dong]

Massive slum fire renders hundreds homeless

The fire fighters faced shortage of water, so they had to ask for helps from nearby districts. Strong wind had obstructed the attempts to put the fire.

Source: The Nation -22 December 2006

The massive lake across the road must just be a mirage then

[adad]

Went by the area today, misjudged the location earlier - Balee Laos restaurant is still very much standing, the gutted scene is about 50 meters away.

I pass by this location every day and strangely never saw the slums before - the entrance to the area had a huge tarpaulin 'curtain' so I always assumed it was a construction site.

The area is surrounded by some gated houses/property so I imagine they must had a huge scare.