MOST bars around Soi Bangla would fail to meet fire safety standards, a local official said today as Governor Dr Preecha Ruangjan made a surprise tour of seven Patong establishments.

All seven failed to meet required regulations, and owners were given seven days to improve or face closure. The Governor chatted happily with owners but took a no-nonsense approach.

''If there is a fire, which way do I run?'' he asked at least one owner. ''Your downstairs area is not safe.''

Alarms that did not work, fire extinguishers that were past their use-by date, exit signs that were too small, extinguishers that were all placed on an outside balcony, and other problems will have to be rectified quickly.

Doubts were also expressed about the rigidity and the legality of some internal structural improvements.

But there were signs at least one owner was safety-conscious: a new rear exit stairway was going in at the D Club in Bangla.

Like all the other bars, D Club was told to make further improvements.

At another large bar, while there were scores of extinguishers, the fire alarm did not work.

The other six bars and nightspots the Governor visited and marked as failures this afternoon on a whirlwind tour were Banana, Baya, Rock City, Tiger, Hollywood Discotheque and Taipan.

Vice Governor Smith Palawatvichai, who made the tour with the governor, along with an inspection team, also told owners that insurance was compulsory.

Governor Dr Preecha has already checked five karaoke nightspots in Thalang and the whole island entertainment scene is likely to come under scrutiny.

The crackdown follows the deadly New Year's Eve blaze at the Santika pub in Bangkok, which claimed more than 60 lives.