Bangkok nightclub fire

Hi,

They finally handed out the sentence to two people they deemed responsible for the Bangkok nightclub fire in 2009 in which 67 people died and many more were left with horrific burns.

The club's owner and the man in charge of pyrotechnics in the club were given three years in jail. This is despite the fact the club was being run totally illegally without any nightclub permits or licences.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14988134

Amazing Thailand indeed!

You can be given five years for stealing a car!

Money talks Kevin, it always will do in LOS.....

Kevin, I honestly say that I don't know how I feel about it.
It wasn't as though they expected this to happen and I know this is no excuse. Many people died and it is an awful awful shame but these people will be on the run for what may be forever as well as they will live with this for their entire lives, as they should. I am sure that none of them sleep at night and if and when caught, 3 years in a Thai jail is a long time. I guess I would feel better about it if they all just surrendered and took their medicine and recognized what they did and show hinest remorse. I hope the 3 years does not allow for a early parole release.

Maybe this and other tradgedies is why the new Prime Minister has ordered a crackdown on clubs nationwide. It is a tradgedy but the difference between stealing a car and this is that stealing a car is with forethought and malice whereas this is just that, a tradgedy that nobody saw coming and I am sure nobody wanted. It still happened out of negligence and greed and the police are just as much to blame. I would hope that those that may have collected bribes to allow them to operate are also charged and convicted as they are the real criminals. But I am sure that you and I both know that that will never happen.
I can only hope that they have a conscience and have trouble sleeping at nite but I doubt it. Just one more place that they don't get their tea money from.

God rest the souls who perished and strength to the ones who survived.

:tif:

Its not what you know, its always been who you know, that out ways MONEY every time :notworthy:

[bao-bao]

(Moved from the G.O.D.closure thread. My mistake.)

Around the time of that fire I seem to remember there was also a concern about the fire exits at G.O.D. and DJ Station, although I could be mistaken as to whether it involved both of them.

I was out walking and took a look behind them and saw junk piled up that would have definitely prevented people from getting out if they tried to push those doors open from the inside in the event of an emergency. Short of going around and checking the exits yourself I don't know how you could know if the exits were usable or not on any given night, but that morning they looked like a disaster waiting to happen.

For those of you who haven't been, here's a look at G.O.D. and Richards from a couple of years ago:

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z56/khunbaobao/GODDiscoClubandRichardsRestaurandSilomSoi2-Web.jpg

Its not what you know, its always been who you know, that out ways MONEY every time :notworthy:

Then that means that with all the 'Effluent' (sic) people that you profess to know, or keep telling us you know you'll always be ......................................

[dab69]

"Maybe this and other tradgedies is why the new Prime Minister has ordered a crackdown on clubs nationwide"

yeahsureright

[Beachlover]

That was a horrific event. Good to see at least some people are going to jail and being held accountable for it...


these people will be on the run for what may be forever as well as they will live with this for their entire lives, as they should. I am sure that none of them sleep at night and if and when caught, 3 years in a Thai jail is a long time. I guess I would feel better about it if they all just surrendered and took their medicine and recognized what they did and show hinest remorse. I hope the 3 years does not allow for a early parole release.
What do you mean? Are you saying the guys who've been sentenced have gone on the run?


a tradgedy that nobody saw coming and I am sure nobody wanted.
Not "seeing it coming" is NEVER an excuse when it comes to OHS failings in business.

You're supposed to undertake a thorough risk assessment to identify all foreseeable risks and implement appropriate measures to deal with them. OHS should always be PRO-ACTIVE not reactive.

I know I'm applying first-world standards/thinking to a third world situation here but it's still not an excuse. There's no way in hell any business owner or safety inspector can be excused for not foreseeing and doing something about the failings that led to so many deaths in this event. For example, as past and present bar owner, can you look through the list of failings and honestly say you couldn't see a disaster coming?

Obviously, the sentence shouldn't be as harsh as it would be if they went out and intentionally murdered a few dozen people. But it should still be pretty harsh.


I would hope that those that may have collected bribes to allow them to operate are also charged and convicted as they are the real criminals.
Yeah, I agree...

I think the article said that several were on the run.
No I am not saying that it is an excuse but I am saying that it is an unfortunate tradgedy. Many many things in Thailand are without the permits that they require because of greedy officials as well as the proprietors.I just feel equal or more blame should be put on finding and pursuing the officials that turned their eyes in another direction because they may have received something in return.

Hi,

The club in question had no licences at all. It was an illegal venue operating in an area where nightclub licences were not allowed. There was no fire checks, risk assessments, inspections by local authorities, nothing, zilch,nada.

There had been 47 police reports and actions against these premises from 2004 to 2006. Once a senior police figure became one of the owners, these police reports and actions ceased. The premises had been refused an entertainment licence in 2004. The city architect signature for the building's use had been forged.

This was absolutely a case of at the very least ' gross negligence ' putting profit before people and in my view involuntary manslaughter of 67 people plus I have seen a documentary made of one of the survivors, a beautiful young woman previously, now burnt and scarred beyond belief from her face to her entire torso.

If that club had been operated by a Foreigner, there would have been marches, anti foreign rhetoric all over the TV etc, demands for unbelievable amounts of compensation etc etc AND a big time jail sentence, which would duly have been handed down.

Anyone that thinks three years is a tough or justifiable sentence for this............................well, up to you.

[Beachlover]

I think the article said that several were on the run.
Sorry, I didn't see anything about that...


I think the article said that several were on the run.
No I am not saying that it is an excuse... I just feel equal or more blame should be put on finding and pursuing the officials that turned their eyes in another direction because they may have received something in return.
Ah fair enough. Totally agree. The officials who took the bribes and allowed the place to operate should also be made accountable.

Totally agree with what Kquill says too... a shitload of deaths and injuries caused by dozens and dozens of layers of corruption, negligence and greed.

BL, exactly.
Quote:
Santika's co-owner and the head of the company that installed the pyrotechnics both said they were too ill to attend court, while a third person remains on the run.

What I said was that I really did not know what I thought of everything. There are as BL says or was it Kquill that there are just too many layers of greed and corruption. I certainly think that for major figures in this tradgedy that 3 years is certainly NOT enough.
The problem I see with this is that you cannot lump everyone together in this and have one sentence for all.
Obviously the first and most persons that need to be held accountable and get the severest penalties are the police, city officials, licencing people and anyone in a government position along with the "top management" of the club. Lesser penalties might be appropriate for people less near the top and more not in the know of what was approved and what they were "told" was approved and just following their bosses instructions. I think the next step down the ladder are the people who were in the band and set up the pyro act as it seems that many papers were forged and some police as you said may have owned the club, thus making them believe that all paperwork was in order as they may have been told.

No, in no way am I saying that the chief perpatrators should only get 3 years. I am just saying that there may be degrees of complicity and therefore sentences for all should not be the same. Its not just as simple as stealing a car.
:dontknow:

[cameroncat]

My Ex had a close female friend who died in that fire. He himself might have been there if I had not been visiting at that time. I will not step foot in DJ's on a Friday or Saturday night. The overcrowding there is a disaster waiting to happen...

[dab69]

My Ex had a close female friend who died in that fire. He himself might have been there if I had not been visiting at that time. I will not step foot in DJ's on a Friday or Saturday night. The overcrowding there is a disaster waiting to happen...

floors + walls- concrete
stairs- steel
what is flammable there? (besides the flaming queens)
a few bottles of open liquor at each bar

[gaymandenmark]

My Ex had a close female friend who died in that fire. He himself might have been there if I had not been visiting at that time. I will not step foot in DJ's on a Friday or Saturday night. The overcrowding there is a disaster waiting to happen...

floors + walls- concrete
stairs- steel
what is flammable there? (besides the flaming queens)
a few bottles of open liquor at each bar

I have had the same feeling like cameorot, but
i attemt to agree with dab69.

I think DJ is safe enough fire wise, but what can worrie me is, if somekind of panic brake out. It is not possible to evacuate the soi without a disater can happen. It is to narrow, and there are lot of other bars in the soi.
Well I still go the also in weekends, though not so often anymore, more weekdays.
The problem it they are allowing very to much peopple inside to be a safe place.

[Beachlover]

I will not step foot in DJ's on a Friday or Saturday night. The overcrowding there is a disaster waiting to happen...
Yeah, I agree it looks that way in DJ Station. If fire and smoke didn't get you there's a real danger of being trampled to death in a stampede, which Gaymandenmark alludes to.

Don't know about GOD as I've never consciously checked out the fire exits but at DJ Station they're at least making an effort. Across the three floors, there's at least three exits leading to Soi 2. That soi is really narrow so you wouldn't want everyone going that way.

On the opposite side of the club, I noticed an exit on the ground floor and one on the second level. Can't remember if there's one on the third level. The one on the ground floor is locked, which I guess is necessary for security reasons. But there's always a guard standing there with a key to it. I know because I said hi to him and asked him to show me the key one night... nice guy, he always smiles.


Quote:
Santika's co-owner and the head of the company that installed the pyrotechnics both said they were too ill to attend court, while a third person remains on the run.
Fair enough... that's not in the link provided by the OP though.