BANGKOK — The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has just raided and inspected animal shops at Chatuchak Market after the worst fire incident involving pets occurred on Tuesday.
Forty-four shops were found to be operating without licenses, and 25 of them were urged to expedite their applications. Additional fire extinguishers are ready to be ordered and installed.
Assoc. Prof. Tavida Kamonvej, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, and other officials visited Chatuchak Plaza Market, Chatuchak District, to inspect the pet shops on June 13, 2024. The delegation included the Director of the Health Department, the Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the District Director, the Animal Welfare and Veterinary Services Division, the Department of Livestock Development, and other related officials.
Thawida mentioned that an inspection was conducted today in Zone D, the pet and pet equipment sales section at Chatuchak Market. There are a total of 160 shops in this area. The inspection aimed to ensure that business owners selling and raising animals have obtained a business license, which is crucial due to the potential health risks associated with dealing with animals.
Following confirmation from the Department of Health regarding the legal requirement that businesses trading in animals are classified as hazardous to health and must have a license to trade or profit as an intermediary dealing with animals or animal corpses (R.10) from the Department of Livestock Development, a survey revealed that out of 44 animal traders, only 19 have the required R.10 license from the Department of Livestock Development.
Mr. Somkiat Phansri, Director of the Animal Welfare and Veterinary Services Division of the Department of Livestock Development, stated that he was there to educate the traders that even selling just one pet requires a license.
He urged the managers of the Chatuchak Market to inform traders to promptly apply for the R.10 license with the Department of Livestock Development and the A.P.2 hazardous business license with the BMA.
Every store selling animals must provide animal welfare according to specified standards, including living space, temperature control, and disease prevention, to ensure that the animals have an excellent physical environment and can exhibit natural behavior. Additionally, the commercial area is a crowded space with various risks beyond fire hazards. Consequently, the market needs to take care of safety equipment.
The manager of Chatuchak Plaza Market outlined the safety measures at the market. Currently, one fire extinguisher is installed per 200 square meters. An extra 60 extinguishers, including water and chemical types, will be added in the coming month.
Tawida emphasized the possibility of increasing the number of extinguishers to 2-3 per area. It is crucial because a fire could rapidly spread in case of an outbreak, making one tank per 200 square meters insufficient.
Afterward, representatives from BMA and the Department of Livestock Development will revisit the area to better understand the process for obtaining both types of licenses. They will also establish a service unit at Chatuchak Market to assist traders in obtaining both licenses.
The BMA has faced heavy criticism for initiating an investigation following the tragic fire incident. Meanwhile, numerous animal lovers are advocating for the complete shutdown of the animal market.
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