Thais across the country watched in horror as a large chemical fire burned out of control in Samutprakan for much of the day on Monday. The fire, which started at a plastics factory, saw one firefighter lose his life and dozens more injured.
The chemical nature of the fire also caused the evacuation of residents in a 10 kilometer radius including Covid-19 patients from a nearby hospital.
It was the ‘perfect’ punctuation to an already crappy summer.
But many of the problems we have faced over the course of the last few months have, in my humble opinion, been self-inflicted if not directly than through our disregard for the fundamental pillars that should hold up a society.
I have written elsewhere on these pages about my contempt for the apathy that Thais have for the political system and how it has ‘come home to roost’ at a time of national emergency. Not caring about politics and the people that govern us has ensured that we have the worst government seen in decades managing the country at a time of global pandemic.
This fire isn’t much different. While the nature of the cause maybe completely accidental and an investigation into the tragedy will likely reveal more details in the coming weeks, there is a propensity for Thai companies to cut corners when it comes to safety.
Now, I do not know the company at the heart of this fire. For all I know, it could be the most law-abiding factory that ever existed and the fire could just be an uncontrollable, unforeseen act of god. We simply do not know at this time and it would be pointless to speculate.
What we do know for certain is that we live in a country where regulators are just another group to be paid-off, where it is cheaper to ignore safety standards, and where the bottom line is much more valuable than human lives.
We owe it to the dead and the injured to no longer allow this to be the status quo. Just as fundamental changes needs to happen in politics to ensure that the clown car currently driving our country repeatedly into a brick wall gets scrapped, fundamental changes also needs to happen at all level of Thai society to ensure that our society begins to function again.
We must transition and evolve from being a country of ignoring responsibility to a country that embraces personal and public responsibility. That applies to both people paying regulators to turn a blind eye to cut corners and the regulators themselves.
How many more tragedies must take place in this country for the rich and powerful to be shamed into finally abiding by the rules?
Over a decade ago, a night club fire killed 66 people in Bangkok and we vowed never again to let it happen. We said safety regulations and protocol must be above corruption, it is what a civilized country would do.
After the events of this Monday, it is time to revisit those vows and make sure we stick by them.