BANGKOK — Thai police are searching for three Korean tourists after a deadly fire at The Ember Hotel near Khao San Road, Bangkok left three foreign tourists dead from smoke inhalation Sunday night.
Room 511’s residents – three Korean men – were absent when the alarm sounded. Staff checking the floor found dense smoke billowing from the room upon opening the door and ran downstairs for help. Investigators are now tracking the Korean tourists while reviewing CCTV footage to determine the fire’s cause.
Governor Chadchart detailed that emergency services received the alert at 9:21 p.m. and arrived within five minutes. Heavy smoke forced 34 of the hotel’s 75 occupants to flee to the rooftop, where they were successfully evacuated using three crane trucks. The survivors were relocated to hotels in the Pratunam area, and relevant embassies were notified.
The hotel, converted from a row of 11 shophouses and spanning approximately 1,515 square meters, received its operating permit in 2020 and began services in April 2022. While the building had two fire exits and adequate fire extinguishers, it wasn’t required to install sprinklers due to its small size, as current regulations only mandate sprinkler systems for hotels with more than 80 rooms.
Governor Chadchart emphasized the need to review safety regulations, particularly for smaller hotels, and urged both tourists and operators to familiarize themselves with fire escape routes and emergency procedures. He also stressed the importance of immediate notification to emergency services via the 199 hotline in case of fire.
The Metropolitan Police Bureau has confirmed three fatalities in the Ember Hotel fire, all guests from the fifth floor: Ms. Carolina Pimentel, 24, from Brazil; Mr. Tuzov, 27, from Ukraine; and Mr. Freeman, 35, from the United States.
Four others were injured in the incident. The hotel’s electrician, Mr. Sorawut, a Thai national, sustained bodily injuries. Two Dutch nationals, Mr. Marvin and Ms. Nadine, suffered body pain and back pain with leg numbness respectively. An unidentified female foreign national was also among the injured, suffering from oxygen deprivation.
Among the victims, Ms. Pimentel’s story has particularly touched many. The young doctor from Albuquerque became separated from her boyfriend while attempting to escape the thick smoke. While he managed to survive by jumping from the third floor, sustaining injuries, she became disoriented and tragically ran into room 511, where the fire originated. The couple had been celebrating their recent engagement, as he had proposed just a week before their Thailand trip.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has confirmed a compensation package for foreign tourists affected by the incident. Initial compensation includes 1 million baht ($30,000) for each fatality and 500,000 baht ($15,000) for each injured victim. The ministry is currently in the process of verifying the identities and nationalities of the victims while contacting their relatives.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Police have announced plans to deploy drones from their Emergency Response Unit and Crowd Control Unit to enhance public security during the New Year holidays. This decision follows the successful use of drone technology during the Ember Hotel fire response, where drones played a crucial role in the rescue operation.
The drones proved invaluable during the incident, helping identify building hotspots and providing precise coordinates to firefighters and rescue workers. This aerial support was particularly effective in coordinating the rescue of injured victims and those trapped inside the building, especially the 34 people who had fled to the rooftop, ultimately contributing to minimizing casualties in the incident.
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