Bangkok: A singer who survived the devastating brewery fire has shared his ongoing trauma and concerns about compensation following the incident. Mr. Chanachai Thongprasert, also known as "Tik," provided a statement to investigators, detailing the emotional and financial repercussions of the tragedy that claimed the lives of four of his bandmates.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Chanachai, 30, recounted that a lawyer reached out to him via Line, informing him of an initial compensation offer of 10,000 baht. Despite this, he remains anxious about further compensation, as the brewery owner is still recovering from the incident. Mr. Chanachai mentioned that he lacks detailed information about the shop's partners, although he frequently observed them managing various aspects of the business. He noted that the shop had recurrent power outages, which were managed by temporarily shutting off the air conditioning. He emphasized that no evacuation or fire prevention drills had ever been conducted, despite joking about potential fire scenarios.
Mr. Chanachai confirmed that the exit door's locking system was not engaged during the incident. He described how rapidly the flames and smoke spread, leaving little time for anyone to react. The traumatic event has significantly affected the mental health of the surviving band members, reducing their number from 11 to 7. The experience has deterred some from performing music again, and Mr. Chanachai himself admitted to struggling with the thought of singing, indicating he may need to alter his performance schedule in the future.
He shared a poignant memory of his close friend and bandmate, Din, who had aspirations of buying a car and improving his mother's life. Mr. Chanachai recounted a haunting experience where he felt Din's presence, describing symptoms of chest tightness and hearing dragging sounds in his room. He expressed his longing and concern for Din, offering to fulfill any of his friend's wishes.
In terms of the investigation, Police Lieutenant General Siam Boonsom, Commander of the Bangkok Metropolitan Police, attended a meeting with the investigative team to assess the progress of the case. Lieutenant General Siam stated that he was reviewing interrogation files and evidence to determine the fire's cause, which led to numerous casualties and injuries.