A 45-year-old man was killed in fire that razed through a popular sauna in Sua Pa Plaza on Bangkok's Charoen Krung road in Pom Prab district.
Third image from the top shows a GSM Guesthouse signboard from a Youtube video; last image shows men in towels being rescued by a firetruck published on The Nation web site.
The blaze was reported to have started at about 8.30pm on Sunday night. Some 100 people were evacuated from the nine-storey building via two firetruck ladders and a helicopter.
The sauna - said to be popular among locals and travelers from Hong Kong and Taiwan - also operated a massage parlour on the fourth floor and guesthouse on the sixth floor.
The incident follows a fire that killed at least 64 partygoers at Santika, an upscale Bangkok nightclub which was full to its 1,000-person capacity on New Year's Eve.
The country's building and fire code standards has been called into question as police revealed that Santika had been refused a licence as an "entertainment venue" since 2004 due to safety concerns but it remained legally open as a restaurant while appealing that decision. It has also emerged that the club had no emergency lighting or sprinkler system, had only one door for entry and exit known to patrons and there were bars on the windows.
A Singaporean, who was in the Thai capital over the New Year's Eve holidays and saw the fire engines on the streets, told Fridae that he shudders to consider a similar fate befalling Silom Soi 2 or 4 - well known clusters of crowded gay bars and clubs located on narrow dead-end lanes.
"It's the main reason why I never go to DJ Station anymore and haven't been for the last five years," said the 30-something businessman who prefers not to be named.
"Fire safety codes are evidently not enforced at many venues, including many clubs, bars and saunas frequented by the gay community. Patrons should exercise caution and voice their concerns to the staff and management of such establishments."
Another commented on a gay news list: "Fire safety and precautions in many of the 30 or so gay saunas in BKK are crappy. I even don't know how to get out of the darkroom in a fire."
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he doesn't know how to get out of a darkroom without a fire? LOLS.
http://gayboythailand.com/bangkok-thailand/dj-station-fire-safety
XOXO
Of course, those with influence should talk firmly with the bosses of these places. Perhaps only then will they care.
Perhaps the new government can shut down night spots which flout fire safety regulations. Tourism is down anyway and a little capacity reduction at this time should do more good than harm in the long run... allowing quality players to survive and ride it out.
Santika operates without license, without insurance; now the tragedy had happened, the owner begs and plead for forgiveness on TV, isn't it a bit too late?
Same go for places like DJ Station, G.O.D., not only there is insufficient fire escape, or as Robert10 shown in his photos, escape route blocked, there is no crowd control of any sort. Major cause of death in any fire is not burn but smoke inhalation and stampede. Even if you manage to make it out of DJ, are you able to excape the narrow Soi2 and the crowded night market on Silom?
Unfortunately our memory is very short. When you are out partying with friends, high on something or horny... whatever concerns you may have will always be set aside and you will think to yourself: "tragedy will never happen to me."
So business owners and local authority must ensure safety of the people.
We all know that is dangerous place when some fire appear but we still keep going there manytime. Do not make the guilty to the owner of those place. We have to give them advice or suggest about the safty way and keep safty by yourself. Those place are nice for gays. We need to make them better better and better in the future. If you do not like those place you would not come before and now said something bad about those place right?!
Thank you so much for reading my feeling
It's a bullshit news.
Regardless of gay places or straight clubs, safety must come first.
party promoters should stop using fireworks special effects inside crowded night clubs. they should use laser lights and other forms of optical special effects. also, the projection screens always work well inside night clubs.
party goers should not smoke cigarettes and cigars inside crowded night clubs. they smell bad + they're fire hazards.
Just be careful wherever it is crowded and enclosed. Be vigilant.
Hope the staff were trained in case.
Centara hotel was a bit differet as many exits.
Not complaining just looking back.
please be careful & please be aware of your surrounding.
please make sure that you know where the exit doors are located.
please bring a cell phone with you so you can call the police or the fire fighters in case of emergency.
Just been to Taipei's parties. Lush and Jump. Are these venues properly fitted with fire emergency facilities?
Negligence and deaf-ears to these kinds of alerts are unforgivable. And would be very uncivilised. Making money is understandable, but there is a responsibility of care that goes with it.
walau...
walau...
God bless you,
As long as there's plenty of willing risktakers filling up these venues, and willing officials to take the bribes, more people will continue to die.
Sad, but simple.
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