Guests ‘run for their lives’ as blaze hits millionaires’ resort on Trat island
Accounts of a blaze at an exclusive resort for millionaires on Trat's Koh Kood Island have gone viral after complaints over safety.
Fire broke out on Sunday morning from Villa 63 at the Soneva Kiri Resort & Residences, an exclusive six-star hotel boasting a room tariff of Bt300,000 to Bt400,000 per night.
The news went viral after Dr Jiraporn Arunakul, a well-known Ramathibodi Hospital paediatrician, posted dramatic details of the incident on Facebook.
She said her group of 15 had fled for their lives, leaving their belongings behind as fire engulfed their accommodation.
She claimed that their villa was razed to the ground in no time because the luxury resort had no smoke detectors, fire alarms or sprinkler system.
Meanwhile, former actress Thamolpan Panuchitputtiwong, who was also staying at the resort with her family, said she had to drop all belongings except for her smartphone to escape the fire.
She said the wooden villa burned to ashes in just 10 minutes, without an alarm going off.
Soneva Kiri Resort & Residences issued a statement on Tuesday, saying that the fire was extinguished and all guests had been evacuated safely.
The statement added that all villas were fitted with smoke detectors in every bedroom, adding that fire and safety protocols at the resort were specially adapted to its forest location.
"The cause of the fire is not yet known but an investigation is underway with the relevant authorities," the statement said.
