Thailand to increase safety checks of pubs

In the wake of the tragic Santika Nightclub fire on New Year’s Eve that claimed 62 lives and injured hundreds more, Thailand‘s Minister of the Interior, Chavarat Charnvirakul, has ordered authorities to inspect the safety conditions at pubs throughout Bangkok and across the nation. Charnvirakul has also announced his ministry will establish new safety guidelines to be applied, and hopefully enforced, at Thailand’s many entertainment venues.

He stated that both the fire codes and the safety inspections need to be upgraded and enforced more effectively. “We should learn from this tragic event and come up with measures to avoid repeating the same mistakes. There should be random inspections on safety measures to be conducted by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration officials,” said the interior minister.

Police Major General Jongrak Jutanont admitted they had yet to determine the cause of the Santika Nightclub fire, but were conducting interviews with eyewitnesses. The police have, however, decided to charge the club’s owner with allowing minors into the venue after the charred body of a 17 year-old Thai was found inside the building. Police don’t suspect arson, since the club had no insurance at the time of the fire.