Unattended burning incense is being blamed for a fire at a South Pattaya apartment that destroyed most of the room’s contents, except a picture of a revered monk.
Firefighters took about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze at the first-floor apartment on South Pattaya Road Soi 6 around 1 a.m. Nov. 13. No one was injured and damaged was confined to the single apartment.
Although the bed, refrigerator and most other items were damaged by the flames, a 3-D portrait of monk Luang Pu-thuad of Chai Hai Temple survived unscathed.
Sakuna Phusri, 56, said she heard a bang and see what looked like flames inside the locked apartment rented by a 50-year-old eyeglasses vendor and his brother, both of whom were out. Investigators determined the fire started at a Buddhist alter where the renters had left incense burning on top of a stack of books.
Firefighters and witnesses marveled that while the bed, refrigerator and most other items were damaged by the flames, a 3-D portrait of monk Luang Pu-thuad of Chai Hai Temple survived unscathed.
