Goodbye Santika

How ironic that the nightclub that exploded into flames, killing over 50 people in Bangkok, Thailand, just after the stroke of Midnight on New Year’s day, was having its final big party before relocating. Thanks to the management’s appalling lack of any form of fire safety regulations, many locals, as well as tourists, had their lives ripped from them at what should have been one of the happier moments of their lives. But, this scenario is not surprising.

What people tend to forget is that Thailand is a third world country. What comes with that ranking is poor standards in nearly every aspect of their society. Infrastruture, education standards, public health, food hygiene and yes, building standards and health regulations. This tragic incident saddened me deeply, but did not shock me. Having lived in Thailand, I have been in venues that I would regard as death traps, as well as taught in a school that had a wooden building that was well over 40 years old and in any other country, would have been condemned long before now.

Health and safety does not exist in many of these third world countries. Why not? To construct buildings to strict regulations, and have all the fire safety equipment needed, as well as train staff in health and safety regulations, all requires money. Construction companies in Thailand use cheap labour, supplied by peasant workers from ‘upcountry’ and I have rarely seen any safety equipment being worn. These people are used as they are cheap and will work around the clock to get a job done. They are usually uneducated, and most probably illiterate, so the construction bosses wouldn’t even tell them much about their work apart from what is necessary. These workers have no real interest in safety, as they will never go into the building that they are helping to build, if they even live to see the final construction completed.

Once you see this scene time and time again across Bangkok, you don’t get surprised when you hear horror stories of only one exit in the Santika nightclub used for entering and exiting. Most of the clubs in Thailand look great, but are made of sub-standard concrete, and usually only one exit. Coupled with this is the absolute greed of Thai owners of the clubs who pack as many people in as they can.

I remember the bars and clubs I went to in Bangkok were down a skinny closed in ‘laneway’.  I remember saying to the owner of another club down the street how I always felt the  club I went to in that laneway was seriously unsafe and I said to him, “What if there was a fire?” He quickly responded by saying, “What if there was a fire at the end of the laneway?” This laneway contained 6 small bars and a nightclub. If there was a fire at the end of that laneway, the fatality list would be through the roof! This is the situation right across the entertainment areas of Bangkok, and there are many. Luckily, you would find the same sub standard levels of safety in only a couple of other countries in Asia. Places like Singapore, Hong Kong and Taipei, while not perfect, have a higher rate of health and safety awareness and construction standards.

So, no, I am not surprised. With this on top of everything else that has crippled Thailand in the last few months, I think it is time for this country to seriously look at itself. It won’t, but it’s time it did. Thankfully none of my friends were in that club that night. My heart goes out to the families of all those who died, and to those recovering in hospital. To think that the foreign tourists who were injured, some severely, were probably so glad that the airport was open again, as they could have the holiday they had planned for New Year. They are probably wishing they had just stayed at home.

This is exactly what many foreigners will be doing from now on. Some Thais have the saying, “Thailand for Thai people.” They may get their wish. Like with the disasters befalling Qantas, it’s going to take Thailand a long time to recover from this, if they can at all.

Enjoy your day