Pattaya —
Pattaya authorities are inspecting the Pattaya Floating Market where a large fire broke out last night, September 7th.
First our previous story:
Now for our update:
Mr. Phit Sirisawatnukul, the Banglamung District Chief, led a team to inspect the tourist landmark today, after a fire erupted about 8 PM last night.
Mr. Phit revealed to The Pattaya News that flames had destroyed the central zone of the market, resulting in damage to over 70 shops, covering one section of the 19-rai (14,400-square-metre) land plots.
The heaviest damage occurred in the northern zone of the four-zoned markets. This area primarily consisted of artisan shops, food stalls, and traditional massage parlors.
Hundreds of affected operators were present at the market to inspect their shops, most of which had been reduced to mere charred ruins. Amidst sorrow and regret, they expressed that they couldn’t retrieve their goods in time due to the incident occurring after the market’s closing hours – the time they went home after finishing their work.
A relief center has been set up to help those affected.
Mr. Phit said the total damages are expected to be no less than 50-60 million baht.
As for the reopening of the market, preliminary reports indicate that certain shops may be temporarily relocated to unaffected zones in order to resume operations. However, this information as well as the reopening date have not yet been officially confirmed by authorities as of press time.
The exact cause of the fire was still under investigation.
