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Bangkok will step up its fire inspection efforts to check all entertainment venues in the capital for possible fire hazards to prevent a similar tragedy to the fire that killed 13 people at a pub in Chonburi last night, the governor of Bangkok said on Friday.
“I have ordered related authorities to inspect entertainment venues in terms of fire exits, fire prevention equipment and expired electrical wires since the fire at Silom Soi 2 in June,” Chadchart Sittipunt told reporters.
The Bangkok governor said the fire at Mountain B in Sattahip, east of Bangkok, which occurred around 1 am this morning served as a reminder for Bangkok, which also has many entertainment venues, that such fire could happen and it must be prevented.
“We cannot be careless about this especially when we are reopening the city to welcome the returning visitors,” he said.
“We need to build up confidence for the people and tourists that are coming to visit Thailand,” he said.
Chadchart he had instructed Police General Adit Ngamjitsuksri, former defence permanent secretary and currently one of the Bangkok governor’s advisers, to step up the fire inspection efforts in the capital with more proactive examination and more cooperation with local police in each district.
Thavida Kamolvech, deputy governor and dean of Thammasat University’s Political Science Faculty, said district offices are working with the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation to inspect fire exits, the layout and fire hazardous points at entertainment venues and they will increase the amount of routine inspection in each district.
Chadchart said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will also use this opportunity to look for illegal establishments as well.
“Certified entertainment venues mostly have fire exits that are in accord to the law but some of them have allowed objects to be placed in the way of these exits such as chairs and tables even though they were clearly labelled as exits,” he said.
“This was the case at the bar in Silom Soi 2 where there was an exit but it was at the back of the bar and there were tables obstructing it and these proactive inspections will make sure that these exits can really be used in time of a fire.