PHUKET: A fire that caused 200,000 baht damage and an injury to a firefighter at a Patong resort last night is being blamed on a falling sky lantern.
The blaze at the Impiana Phuket that left a firefighting staffer in Patong Hospital with a broken arm also ignited the fierce debate about illegal fireworks and crackers on Phuket's beaches.
A German tourist warned in a letter to Patong's police superintendent Colonel Arayapan Pukbuakao this week that the illegal Patong fireworks were dangerous and were driving tourists off Phuket.
Virtually Phuket's entire west coast from Kata through Karon and Patong to Kamala and Surin suffers from a fireworks frenzy as locals and some tourists enjoy lighting up the night with noise that other residents and tourists hate.
Last night's blaze paralysed traffic in Patong's one-way beach road and is likely to bring to a head the call for police to crackdown on crackers.
Four fire trucks were called to the blaze at the Impiana Phuket, one of Patong's original resorts, which is right on the beach and has been holiday host in the past to some of Malaysia's royals.
Firefighters believe the blaze was caused when a recalcitrant sky lantern of the kind sold illegally on Patong beach to tourists headed back to earth and chose to land on a thatch roof atop part of the resort's restaurant zone about 10pm.
In the chaos that followed, firefighting Impiana staffer Piranan Aunchyanon, 25, fell and broke an arm. Paramedics joined firefighters at the scene, treated Khun Piranan and then carried him to Patong Hospital.
Phuketwan readers have debated the merits of illegal fireworksd and crackers on Phuket's holiday west coast since we carried news of the German man's threat to move to Cambodia or Vietnam with his group of 16 friends who spend about 12 million baht a year in an extended Patong holiday.
The majority support fireworks on special occasions and for traditional Phuket festivals but say the illegal explosions have become so widespread, the German group are not the only regular Phuket tourists now considering alternatives.
The blaze at the Impiana Phuket that left a firefighting staffer in Patong Hospital with a broken arm also ignited the fierce debate about illegal fireworks and crackers on Phuket's beaches.
A German tourist warned in a letter to Patong's police superintendent Colonel Arayapan Pukbuakao this week that the illegal Patong fireworks were dangerous and were driving tourists off Phuket.
Virtually Phuket's entire west coast from Kata through Karon and Patong to Kamala and Surin suffers from a fireworks frenzy as locals and some tourists enjoy lighting up the night with noise that other residents and tourists hate.
Last night's blaze paralysed traffic in Patong's one-way beach road and is likely to bring to a head the call for police to crackdown on crackers.
Four fire trucks were called to the blaze at the Impiana Phuket, one of Patong's original resorts, which is right on the beach and has been holiday host in the past to some of Malaysia's royals.
Firefighters believe the blaze was caused when a recalcitrant sky lantern of the kind sold illegally on Patong beach to tourists headed back to earth and chose to land on a thatch roof atop part of the resort's restaurant zone about 10pm.
In the chaos that followed, firefighting Impiana staffer Piranan Aunchyanon, 25, fell and broke an arm. Paramedics joined firefighters at the scene, treated Khun Piranan and then carried him to Patong Hospital.
Phuketwan readers have debated the merits of illegal fireworksd and crackers on Phuket's holiday west coast since we carried news of the German man's threat to move to Cambodia or Vietnam with his group of 16 friends who spend about 12 million baht a year in an extended Patong holiday.
The majority support fireworks on special occasions and for traditional Phuket festivals but say the illegal explosions have become so widespread, the German group are not the only regular Phuket tourists now considering alternatives.
Illegal lanterns are very dangerous as they fly a long way and may put fire on nearby forests.
Posted by Whistle-Blower on February 18, 2012 10:00