3 Soneva Kiri execs slapped with charges over March fire
Police announce charges against Tropical Island Ltd and three of its directors for the fire that took place at Soneva Kiri Resort in Trat province on March 6.
The resort on Koh Kut island was being managed by the company at the time of the fire, which seriously injured two guests and damaged some 34 million baht worth of their property, including jewellery and luxury watches.
Deputy police chief Pol Lt-General Sompong Chingduang met the press on Thursday to announce that after three months of gathering evidence, police decided to place charges against three executives – two UK nationals and a Thai.
“Investigation revealed that the resort’s Villa 63, where the fire started, had never been inspected for fire safety and that the company had been renting it out to guests without notifying the registrar as required by the Hotel Act of 2004,” Sompong said.
“The company also failed to maintain its power system, which sparked the fire, and failed to ensure the fire alarm system was functional, which resulted in the blaze spreading throughout the resort. Hence, charges have been placed against the company and its directors for negligence resulting in injuries and damages.”
Sompong said that the Thai director had turned herself in to face charges, though the other two directors are still missing and police believe they may have fled the country.
Trat police chief Pol Maj-General Pakorn Maneepakorn, who was also at the press conference, called on hotel operators to adhere to safety regulations as required by law, as well as ensure fire prevention systems, including smoke detectors, sprinklers, alarms and firefighting equipment are in functional condition at all times.