I just read in the papers Suapa Plaza was on fire. Not been there to observe (will dot that later today), but was a huge fire. I saw photo's of guys wearing towels being rescued.

Anyone been there during the fire?

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Fire breaks out at shopping, residential plaza building

A fire broke out at a shopping and residential plaza building in Bangkok Sunday night. No casualties were reported.

The fire broke out at the Sua Pa Plaza in Pomprab district at 8:30 pm.

The blaze broke out from the first floor and quickly spread to other floors, causing panic among many residents inside the building. Many of them rushed to the rooftop, waiting for help.

By 9:15 pm, fire fighters managed to control the blaze and rescue 15 people from the building.

About 20 other residents were still trapped inside the second and third floor. Authorities were trying to rescue them by using helicopters. They were being directed to the rooftop.

The building's 4th-6th floor are residential area of 50 rooms to each floor while the 7th to 9th floors provided sauna service.

The Nation

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-- As an aside - in today's,(07th.), issue of the BKK. Post. there is an article entitled:
Setting the record straight about a horrible tragedy.
-It is all about the fire in the SANTIKA PUB. - Ekkami - on New Year's day and was written by one of those who was there, (from his name a farang.),.
- I daresay that it may be accessed ON-Line as follows -

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/o...rrific-tragedy

-- Further news about the fire at the SANTIKA PUB. may be read herebelow -

BAHT STOP - A Posting Board for Gay Thailand (Powered by Invision Power Board)
> THAILAND FORUM
>> Investigators: Santika was a deathtrap

- Two web-sites are mentioned - I have been unable to download either independently - in postings made by HEDDA and by HAROLD.

-- Bibi.. --

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Report on Fridae. Raises serious issues about othr venues, especially Soi 2 and Soi 4!!


Fire in Bangkok gay sauna kills patron
One man was killed and 36 others injured as a massive blaze swept through a shopping and residential complex in Bangkok's Chinatown district on Sunday night, just days after a fire at a nightclub in the Thai capital claimed dozens.

A 45-year-old man was killed in fire that razed through a popular sauna in Sua Pa Plaza on Bangkok's Charoen Krung road in Pom Prab district.

[PIC]Bangkok's The Nation newspaper reported that the victim – identified by the police as Sanguan Saenkaew - was found by rescue workers on the seventh floor of the building early Monday morning. He is believed to be a patron of GSM Sauna at the time of the fire. Reports say about 60 fire engines fought the blaze which took hours to put out.

The blaze was reported to have started at about 8.30pm on Sunday night. Some 100 people were evacuated from the nine-storey building via two firetruck ladders and a helicopter.

The sauna - said to be popular among locals and travelers from Hong Kong and Taiwan - also operated a massage parlour on the fourth floor and guesthouse on the sixth floor.

A Singaporean, who was in the Thai capital over the New Year's Eve holidays and saw the fire engines on the streets, told Fridae that he shudders to consider a similar fate befalling Silom Soi 2 or 4 – well known clusters of crowded gay bars and clubs located on narrow dead-end lanes.

"It's the main reason why I never go to DJ Station anymore and haven't been for the last five years," said the 30-something businessman who prefers not to be named.

"Fire safety codes are evidently not enforced at many venues, including many clubs, bars and saunas frequented by the gay community. Patrons should exercise caution and voice their concerns to the staff and management of such establishments."

Another commented on a gay news list: "Fire safety and precautions in many of the 30 or so gay saunas in BKK are crappy. I even don't know how to get out of the darkroom in a fire."

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-- In the BKK. Post. of a few days ago there was a front page article hinting that there might just be a faint possibility that 'Tea Money.' was offered so as to allow SANTIKA PUB's. operation to continue.
- Talking with a farang acquaintance who, until recently, was not unconnected to a couple of a go-go bars in Soi Twilight, (off Suriwong rd.), he believed that there are only a couple of other a go-go bars in that soi that have valid Licences to Operate from the Police: CLASSIC BOYS and the olde TWILIGHT, the latter's Licence may have been carried-on forward to the present HOTMALE. Apparently both BOYS BKK. & DREAMBOYS BARBEIR have tried for years to obtain a Licence but at each submission the Police have raised objections, points of detail/order and so on.
- Posibly the granting of a License limits any future contributions to BKK's Finest's Benevolent fund?
- Although the granting of a Licence is no guarantee of customers' safety, is it?
-- Bibi.. --

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Re Soi Twilight..... from BBB's latest e-circular

"Sure, BBB Group has fire exits and fire
extinguishers in every venue, on every floor,
front and backside. We certainly hope, you and we
never have to use them."

No mention of a licence ..... !

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"Posibly the granting of a License limits any future contributions to BKK's Finest's Benevolent fund?"

It may reduce slightly but not extinguish the "tea money". They obviously do not have a licence for fucking shows etc. I had a good friend that had a small Karaoke bar near Surwaong with all relevant licences but still had to pay the police Bht20,000 per month. He said that a named go-go bar at that time was paying Bht250,000 per month. No doubt the full service massage places pay considerably more than the other massage places etc etc. No wonder then that there are certain positions in the police force where you have to pay a considerable amount of money to have that posting.

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-- The flg. article from a recent issue of the BKK. Post and concerning the fire at the SANTIKA PUB may be of interest -

Bangkok Post : Loophole clouds Santika charges

- Suggestions have been voiced that as the SANTIKA PUB. was neither large nor an HIGH rise it did not need Fire-escapes, Fire-fighting eqpt. and so on. I wonder howmany other estab's. could claim that as a possible defence?

-- I've read, too, that many e'tainment. venues are registered officially as Restaurants, wch. are not so tightly controlled - thus avoiding, to them, the unnecessary complainces and inspections that otherwise they should have to undergo. While Restaurants are obliged to CLOSE at midnight these estab's. manage to remain OPEN longer! Having their cakes and eating them!
-- Bibi. --

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-- This a'noon., (16th.), I drove-by in a 'bus. and saw the the whole place is boarded-off by sheets of galvanised iron at sidewalk level.
- The smell of conflagration was still heavy in the air.
-- Bibi.. --

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-- An acquaintance from anther web-site has drawn my att'n. to the flg. article -

Bangkok Post : Santika 'left alone' after CSD officer bought a stake

-- "Verb. sap."! -- Bibi. --

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Precisely why one would want to invite a high-ranking police officer to hold shares in your business.

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