Phuket trial over fatal Tiger Disco fire postponed

PHUKET: The trial of the operators of the Tiger Disco nightclub for the deaths of four people, including two tourists, in the blaze last year in Patong has been postponed until the end of November.

Tiger Group CEO Piya Isaramalai and management representatives of Sara Entertainment Co Ltd were scheduled to appear in court on September 2 to face charges of causing deaths and injuries through negligence (story here).

However, the trial has been delayed to allow the Office of the Public Prosecutor for this region to “review” the case file.

“The defense lawyer submitted a letter to the Office of the Attorney General requesting that authority to reconsider the charges,” Public Prosecutor Vivath Kitjaruk told the Phuket Gazette.

“The Attorney General subsequently requested the Office of the Public Prosecutor to review the file. I sent the file to the Office of the Public Prosecutor for Region 8 in Surat Thani two weeks ago and still have not received it back,” he explained. “Therefore, the trial has been postponed. Hopefully the case file will be returned to me sometime next month.”

“The trial date for witness testimonies will take place around the end of November,” Prosecutor Vivath added.

— Orawin Narabal