The Interior Ministry has instructed provincial governors nationwide to step up safety inspections at hotels, tourist attractions, and entertainment venues in the wake of a hotel fire near Khao San Road in Bangkok, which left three people dead and several injured on Sunday night.
Interior Ministry spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had instructed Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt and relevant agencies to determine the cause of the blaze.
The fire broke out near Khao San Road, a well-known attraction among foreign tourists, so it could negatively impact the tourism industry, Ms Traisuree said.
"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 hotel's operator followed safety standards," she said.
Mr Anutin also instructed provincial governors nationwide to work with local authorities to ensure hotels, tourist spots, and entertainment venues comply with safety requirements as large crowds of domestic and foreign tourists are now gathering 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," Ms Traisuree said.
Police said the fire started in Room 511 on the fifth floor of the six-storey Ember Hotel on Tanee Road at 9.21pm on Sunday.
Firefighters brought the flames under control in about an hour. Police were investigating the cause of the fire.
One foreign tourist, identified as Pimentel Canales Albuquerque, a 24-year-old Brazilian national, was found dead in Room 511 on the fifth floor.
Two foreign men were seriously injured and succumbed to their injuries at hospitals later.
They were identified as Victor Tuzov, a 27-year-old Ukrainian, and Timothy Freeman Jr, a 35-year-old American.
Those injured included two Thais, a Japanese man, a Dutchman, a Dutch woman, a Chinese man and a foreign woman whose nationality has yet to be determined.
Governor Chadchart said about 75 people were staying in the hotel when the fire broke out.
Thick smoke forced 34 of them to go to the rooftop of the building before they were evacuated with the help of fire truck ladders, while those who stayed on the lower floors managed to escape to safety, he said.
Mr Chadchart said that firefighters managed to put the blaze out quickly. He ordered the hotel closed pending safety inspections.
An initial inspection has found that the hotel was remodelled from a number of shophouses covering about 1,515 square metres. It was granted a licence in 2020 and opened for service in 2022, Mr Chadchart said.
The inspection also found that the hotel had two fire exits and fire extinguishers as required by law, he said, adding that the fire exit routes were not obstructed.
However, the hotel building had no balconies, causing smoke from the fire to spread through the fire exit routes and the whole building, he said.
While small buildings are not required by law to have balconies, they must have other effective fire prevention measures in place, Mr Chadchart added.
Natthriya Thaweevong, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, said the families of the dead victims will receive 1 million baht in compensation each, while the injured will get 500,000 baht each.