Pattaya’s Disaster
Prevention and Mitigation Department director, Saeree Jumpangern (left),
with help from one of Pattaya’s fire police teams, explains how much
better prepared we are now than we were 2 decades ago.
Warunya Thongrod
As the height of Pattaya’s skyline grows ever greater, so does the risk
posed by fire.
Ever since “The Towering Inferno” blazed across movie screens in 1974,
the specter of high-rise fires has distressed condominium owners and
hotel guests around the world, sometimes for good reason. In 1997, at
least 91 people at Pattaya’s Royal Jomtien Resort died when a leaking
cooking-gas cylinder ignited in a ground-floor restaurant, sweeping fire
through 12 of the hotel’s 17 floors.
Pattaya Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department officials say
high-rise safety has improved immensely since the tragedy at the Royal
Jomtien. Unlike today’s tall buildings, that hotel lacked any active
fire-suppression system, had unpressurized stairwells, was missing
self-closers on upper-floor doors and had no fire-stoppers in elevator
shafts. Making matters worse, the hotel was stocked with combustible
wood and vinyl furnishings not treated with fire retardants.
Disaster department director, Saeree Jumpangern, said
the high rises that dot the area’s skyline today are required to have
numerous layers of alarms and fire-fighting systems. Smoke and heat
detectors, sprinkler system, fire alarms, and fire escapes are all
mandated by laws toughened after the 1997 fire. Before then, antiquated
fire-safety laws were so lax, and fines for violations so low, that
owners simply paid inspectors, sometimes daily, instead of paying to
correct problems.
Saeree noted that Pattaya also has a large stock of modern fire-fighting
equipment, with ladder and basket trucks that can extend up to 68
meters. In cases of fire above that, the city has air cushions and
fabric shafts to facilitate escape, and more than 100 firefighters to
search upper floors.
The department also performs weekly inspections and regular
fire-training exercises with hotels, shopping malls and high-rise
residences. Since the fall, staffers have organized much publicized
drills at Central Festival Pattaya Beach and the Hilton Pattaya that
sits on top of it, along the Royal Cliff, Zign and Diana Garden hotels.
Training, preparation and regulations are only part
of the fire-safety system, however. Saeree said personal preparation and
responsibility are keys to safety.
He said all high-rise condo owners should buy their own fire
extinguishers and learn how to use them. They should also perform their
own fire drills, closing their eyes and trying to find keys,
flashlights, and masks, plus learn to open doors and navigate escape
routes while unable to see.
High-rise owners and managers also are responsible for checking alarm
systems, automatic fire-extinguishers and escape routes.
If fire does break out, Saeree said high-rise occupants should move
quickly to the nearest exit, leaving all valuables behind. Check for
fire behind closed doors by first feeling for heat. If a door is hot,
then leave the door closed and look for a window. Place a wet cloth over
your face and keep your head down or, if necessary, crawl to avoid smoke
inhalation. Once a window is open, shout and wave to attract the
attention of firefighters.
Pattaya’s fire department can be reached around the clock by dialing 199
or calling the city call center at 1337.
