Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt has ordered all 50 districts in the city to carry out safety checks at entertainment venues, following the fatal nightclub fire in Chon Buri and another recent fire in the Silom area.
The governor on Saturday reported progress in a city-wide survey of the safety of entertainment venues, indicating he has received 400 reports so far with 83 locations considered problematic and ordered to suspend their operations.
The city is checking for fire escapes, including their visibility by patrons, while police have been asked to assist in the checks, he said.
Mr Chadchart was responding to the blaze at the Mountain B pub in Sattahip early Friday, which resulted in 15 deaths and 37 injuries.
Questions have been raised about the Sattahip incident, including the lack of fire exits and the use of inflammable soundproofing materials. As well, it has been revealed that the business had no licence to operate as a pub.
Mr Chadchart said the Sattahip tragedy should have been avoided, noting that he had called for more checks in the capital following a fire that broke out in a six-storey building on Silom Road on June 7.
