An accidental fire at a hotel near the tourist magnet of Khao San Road that claimed three lives and injured seven lowered people's spirits on the cusp of New Year and raised questions about how officials handle building safety inspections.
Despite the tragic blaze, the response from policymakers has been frustrating.
As in the case of previous fires, Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered provincial governors nationwide to step up their safety inspections of hotels, tourist attractions and tourist venues.
Similarly, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittpunt has ordered district officials to inspect the safety of hotels in and around Khao San Road.
Anyone who lives in Thailand knows what kind of statements our politicians and officials trot out for the media and public at times like this. But the public rarely gets to hear about the outcome of such safety inspections. Even worse, it remains unclear if officials have actually launched any safety inspections of high-risk buildings. And if they have, what has been done to improve their safety?
If the responsible authorities have been vigilant in inspecting and improving the safety of these public buildings, how can such tragic accidents resulting from a lack of safety standards being enforced continue to happen?
Thai society believed the tragic fire at the Santika Club in Ekamai in the Sukhumvit area on the night of Jan 1, 2009, would be a game changer. Sadly, it wasn't. Since then, such accidents have struggled to draw media attention.
Only major fires tend to be reported on, such as the blaze that claimed over 20 lives at Mountain-B Pub in Chon Buri's Sattahip district in August 2022.
Accidents happen, but those that can be avoided should be. In Thailand, many accidents, big or small, that occur in public buildings often involve lax law enforcement and sub-par safety standards.
The recent fire at the Ember Hotel on Tanee Road near Khao San resulted in a lower body count, and the hotel operator has not been found to have broken any laws, yet there is still fault to be found.
Mr Chadchart told the public that the materials used in the building were not flame retardant and the rooms lacked a balcony, so the smoke from the fire went straight to the fire exits instead. It is shocking to learn that thick smoke forced 34 people to head to the rooftop, where they were evacuated by firefighters -- not to the fire exits and the evacuation facility provided by the hotel. The question is, how many small hotels like this are there in Bangkok and other tourist areas?
In popular destinations like Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai, many shophouses and even large houses have been converted into small hotels or low-cost bed & breakfasts.
Unlike big hotels that are designed and built to handle high-rise accidents and provide safety evacuations, these small businesses are not required to follow stringent safety rules, such as the requirement to use expensive flame retardant in their rooms.
They are also not subject to frequent and regular inspections by officials or even by their own operators to ensure the relevant safety standards are met.
The government and the Ministry of Tourism and Sport must pay much more attention to safety in small hotels. This is not just the responsibility of the Interior Ministry or local governments like the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.