Thailand’s Interior Ministry has directed provincial governors nationwide to conduct safety checks at hotels, tourist attractions, and entertainment venues in the aftermath of the Ember Hotel fire near Khao San Road in Bangkok on Sunday night, which killed three tourists and injured several others.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul said Interior Mr. Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had directed Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt and appropriate agencies to investigate the cause of the fire. The fire broke out near Khao San Road, a popular tourist destination, and Ms Traisuree warned that it could severely impact the tourism business.
“The minister has also ordered officials to investigate whether the fire was caused by carelessness or if it was an accident and to determine whether the Ember Hotel’s operator followed safety standards,” according to her.
Mr Anutin also directed province governors nationwide to collaborate with local authorities to ensure that hotels, tourist attractions, and entertainment venues meet safety standards as big crowds of domestic and foreign tourists assemble to celebrate the New Year.
“Authorities must ensure electricity systems in those venues are up to standard, entrances and exits are safe and in good condition, and there are measures in place to prepare for all possible contingencies,” she said.
At 9.21 p.m. on Sunday, police said the fire started in Room 511 on the fifth level of the six-story Ember Hotel on Tanee Road. Within an hour, firefighters had brought the flames under control. Police were looking into the cause of the fire.
One international tourist, Pimentel Canales Albuquerque, a 22-year-old Brazilian, was discovered dead in Room 511 on the fifth floor.
Two other foreign tourists were severely injured and died later in hospitals. They were later identified as Victor Tuzov, a 27-year-old Ukrainian, and Timothy Freeman Jr., a 35-year-old from the United States.
Two Thai nationals, a Japanese male, a Dutchman, a Dutch woman, a Chinese man, and an unknown international woman, suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital and released the same evening. Approximately 75 people stayed in the motel when the fire broke out.
Thick smoke caused 34 guests to move to the building’s rooftop before being evacuated using fire truck ladders. Guests staying on the lower floors were able to escape to safety. Firefighters immediately extinguished the fire, and the hotel was ordered closed pending safety assessments.
An early assessment revealed that the hotel was built from a collection of shophouses around 1,515 square meters. According to Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, it received a license in 2020 and will begin operations in 2022.
The inspection also discovered that the hotel had two fire escapes and fire extinguishers, as required by law, he added, adding that the fire exit routes were clear. However, because the hotel had no balconies, smoke from the fire traveled throughout the fire exit routes and the entire building, he explained.
According to Mr. Chadchart, small buildings are not legally required to have balconies but must have other adequate fire prevention measures. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports stated that the relatives of the deceased will each receive 1 million baht in compensation, while the injured will receive 500,000 baht.
