From: kamol@ipied.tu.ac.TH (Kamol Hengkietisak)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Bangkok Post Dec 29: Pier sink saga continues
Date: 5 Jan 1993 19:27:29 +1100
Organization: Mail/News gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: munnari.oz.au

 
HARBOUR Department Director-General Sathian Wongwichian yesterday 
assured that the hotel pier tragedy would not happen again.
 
He said officials had checked all the piers along the Chao Phraya 
River and found that not a single one of them was modified for 
other purposes like the one at the Menam Hotel. Most piers are 
used by passengers as permitted by the department, he added.
 
He said piers which were modified as restaurants, godowns, shops 
and buildings which jut out over the river would be banned.
 
Mr Sathian complained that the department lacks the manpower to 
carry out thorough inspections to ensure that all piers follow the 
regulations laid down by the department.
 
He explained that his department is responsible for checking if 
the piers are up to the required standard or not. The Bangkok 
Metropolitan Administration, he said, is in charge of monitoring 
the usage of the piers.
 
While noting that the safety of piers or floating restaurants 
depends on the safety awareness of the operators and customers, he 
urged operators not to let too many people on board their piers or 
their floating restaurants. Customers too should avoid those which 
look flimsy and unsafe, he added.
 
The only penalty against unlicensed or substandard piers is a 
2,000 baht fine, said Mr Sathian, adding that his department is 
studying how to amend the law to increase safety and levy a higher 
penalty.
* * *
EVER since the Menam Hotel pontoon tragedy Saturday night, Kampol 
Sukakthanont had remained hopeful he would one day be reunited 
with his three-year-old daughter reportedly seen rescued from the 
chilly waters.
 
Each day he visited the pontoon hoping the unidentified rescuers 
would return Chiranand back into his embrace.
 
But his hopes were dashed yesterday morning when police found a 
floating body in yellow trousers which has since been identified 
as Chiranand.
 
Choked with emotion, Mr Kampol, an employee of the YHS 
International Company, said he was deeply grieved by the premature 
death of his daughter.  
 
He said he had picked up Chiranand from his grandmother's home in 
Klong Toey and taken her to join the company party at the hotel 
pontoon.
 
"Nong Wao was a cute and talkative kid. She was not yet in 
school," said Mr Kampol.
 
The mother of the victim, Mrs Sunee, who was saved by Mr Kampol, 
collapsed after learning of her daughter's death and had to be 
rushed to hospital.
 
Nine people were still missing yesterday, according to Pak Khlong 
San police. They are Somkid Chimklod, Charun Kornpanich, Sakda 
Yameelamedin, Ms Nam-oi Thapyang, Thaveep Sukpokee, Rangsan 
Sriniwatsai, Vutthikij Chaivarakulwong, Sanit Charoensuk and 
Niphon Saeng-ngam.
 
Menam Hotel personnel manager Thanakorn Suwannet said yesterday 
the hotel would pay the families of each of the victims 100,000 
baht and would also sponsor their funerals.
 
He refused to comment on the collapse of the pontoon, saying it 
should be the job of the police to give the reasons.
 
He said the hotel would cooperate fully with authorities in 
salvaging the collapsed pontoon.
 
Mrs Pin Chimklod, the mother of Somkid who is still missing, said 
yesterday she prayed her son would be found safe.
 
"He  G not good at swimming," she said. "Normally he sends me 
1,000 baht a month." 
 
Mrs Pin said she discovered her son was missing when she went to 
his company, Siam Metal, in Samut Sakhon's Krathum Baen District.
 
She said the company promised to pay full compensation but did not 
state how much.
 
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Pol Maj-Gen Thirachai 
Riencharoen yesterday instructed Pak Khlong San police to speed up 
their investigation into who gave permission for the party on the 
pontoon.
 
He said he also wanted to know why so many people were allowed on 
the pontoon without proper control.
 
He said the hotel would be charged initially with carelessness for 
allowing the use of the pontoon for the party. But first police 
will wait for a report from the Harbour Department.
 
Thon Buri Metropolitan Police Commander Maj-Gen Wannarat Kojarak 
said yesterday police may charge the Menam Hotel with carelessness 
causing death under the Criminal Code.
 
The Harbour Department can also file separate charges under the 
Navigation Act for converting the pontoon into a restaurant.
 
The hotel had asked the Harbour Department for permission to 
install a pontoon in 1987 for use as a boat landing platform.
 
An investigation will also be conducted into whether the hotel had 
inspected the pontoon regularly and the cable used to tie it in 
place.
 
He said the hotel would not be able to deny responsibility for the 
tragic event.