A Bangkok shop owner called for reasonable government compensation after a fire destroyed the electronics and automotive accessories market, Khlong Thom Centre, on Friday, August 28.
The fire broke out at Khlong Thom Centre at around 8.40pm on Friday, affecting two of the centre’s three-storey buildings. Nine people were injured, while firefighters and officials brought the blaze under control at around 5.30am the following day.
Smoke was detected at the scene again at 2.45pm yesterday, August 31. Firefighters and relevant officials were monitoring the site due to accumulated heat, risk of structural collapse, and smoke and toxic residue from burnt chemicals.
According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), the fire started on the first floor of the centre. The cause remains under investigation, while the total value of the damage has also yet to be determined.
A 32 year old shop owner, Wiyaporn, said her business lost its entire stock and working capital in the Khlong Thom fire, with preliminary damage estimated at millions of baht.
Wiyaporn said her shop mainly sold automotive accessories and car decoration parts. The fire destroyed all the products inside, while money kept at the shop was also lost.
Her family previously operated two shop units but reduced this to one after rental costs increased and had just signed a new four-year rental agreement in January.
Wiyaporn also questioned the level of fire safety at the centre. She said she had never seen sprinkler systems or fire extinguishers installed at designated points in the area, adding that the only fire extinguishers she knew of were those being sold by shops.
She recalled three previous fires at the centre, with the latest occurring in 2017. Wiyaporn said those fires generally occurred during the daytime and were contained to around two or three shop units.
Wiyaporn said her family had operated at Khlong Thom since she was 10 years old and that she had spent more than half her life in the area.
She said the shop was also the result of her father’s work. He designed its layout, built the metal cabinets and installed its internal systems. Her parents worked there to support her education, while the centre also held memories for many families.
Wiyaporn said her shop did not have fire insurance. She also referred to reports circulating on social media that government agencies might provide 20,000 baht in compensation for each affected shop, saying the amount would not reflect the actual losses.
She appealed to the government and relevant agencies to consider increasing the assistance, saying the economic and psychological impact on affected shop owners was far greater than the reported amount.
As of now, the government has not officially confirmed the amount of compensation available to affected shop owners.
The story Khlong Thom fire leaves trader facing millions in losses as seen on Thaiger News.
