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Breaking! Huge Fire in Pattaya Near Walking Street.


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47 minutes ago, billywillyjones said:

Could it be insurance?  However, in Thailand one must never rule out the electrical wiring.

Thailand and electrical wiring.  No could not be a problem.  Everyone here so skilled.  When a business that is suffering financially suddenly catches fire, often they point to what is termed "Jewish Lightning" as the cause. 

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As there is NO evidence that the place was (or wasn't) insured and it didn't "suspiciously" catch fire long before this, it is probably more likely to have been an electrical fault or someone screwed up while cooking in the restaurant on the bottom floor.

I had a circuit breaker that kept flipping off, even when there was no load on the circuit, so I called in an "electrician" as I didn't want to deal with the main circuit panel and shoddy work done by the initial builders (Chok Chai).
The electrician pulled the faulty circuit breaker out and gave it to me. Cheap made in China POC. (Piece of crap.)
It literally fell apart in my hand. Crumbled into a dozen pieces.

I can only imagine what could have happened if some slight vibration had of made it crumble while it was still in the panel.
Faulty electrical work does cause a lot of fires here. As does people overloading a panel (i.e. by plugging in a half a dozen power bars to a single outlet and then plugging in a couple dozen lights/appliances/tools to those power bars).
"Back home" if you had an electrical problem you'd call in a qualified electrician. Here it seems every other person you see thinks they are a qualified electrician because hey, how hard can it be ? "I saw a guy in my village do that once so here, hold my beer while I give it a try !"
Kind of like motorcycle repair shops.)
(Besides, actually qualified people cost money and "my buddy" will fix it for a free beer !)


The other likely cause could have been an accidental propane tank explosion. 

Keep in mind that the bottom floor of the building houses a restaurant.

Propane bottle fires happen far more often than you might think. Many use a (made in China POC) rubber or even a plastic hose that deteriorates over time. Assuming the  hoses haven't been kinked, cramped (squished) melted (burned) and were hooked up properly to begin with that is.

Also = I'm guessing that standards (and enforcement) regarding propane tanks are not enforced here.

For example, in the "West", propane tanks are stamped with date. (Stamped right into the metal.)
Once past that date, propane companies are not allowed to refill the tank, it has to be replaced (and then sent for testing).
I just confirmed, tanks are initially certified for 12 years and then have to be retested (and stamped with the date). After that, it's supposed to be every 5 years.

I just checked the spare tank under my sink. I got it about 2 years ago. It's certification date is 2552.
(It is currently 2564). 
So not only is it 12 years past the date it should have been retested (and stamped), it should have been retested (and stamped again) twice more !

I'm guessing the bottle that is currently in use is probably just as old. However, I use a decent hose with a proper cut-off valve and make sure it isn't kinked or likely to have hot liquids spilled on it or is in a place where it could get crushed.

So, while it could be an "insurance" deal, it probably is more likely an accident. 

 

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Just for some FYI.

Rock Bar on Walking street gutted by electrical fire - March 2017.
(Caused by a "squirrel" supposedly.)


2 Bars (and 17 motorcycles) incinerated by electrical fire behind Marine Hotel  - March 2018. (Faulty transformer that had just been installed, brand new, the day before.)

Sept 2020 - 2 rooms at the top of the Pattaya Inn Hotel (Walking Street) gutted by fire. (No cause given by the rooms were supposedly vacant at the time.)

Also in the general area.

July 2020  - Fire guts Sukhawdee House. (Not long after the city had demolished two other buildings in the same area for encroaching on public land. Cause of the fire is believed to have been electrical. Place had been closed and vacant for 4 months and had just re-opened the day before.) 

Fairy Sweet Restaurant - 2 fires in 1 year - caused by "electrical" fault. (Place was still under construction so who knows ?)
 

Edited by kerryd
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