PATTAYA, Thailand – Tourists and local residents were startled when a fire broke out at a health massage shop on Pratumnak Road in South Pattaya at about 4 p.m. on August 24. Pattaya disaster prevention officers arrived with three water and fire engines, while Sawang Boriboon rescue workers also sent an ambulance and rescue equipment to the scene.
Firefighters found flames burning intensely at the front section of Piya Health Massage Shop and immediately began spraying water to contain the blaze. The fire was brought under control within about 10 minutes, preventing it from spreading further through the premises. An initial inspection found that a cashier counter and one electric towel-drying machine inside the affected room were completely damaged.
The shop manager, identified only as 30-year-old Dream, said nobody was inside the room when the fire started. The room contained only the towel-drying machine and cashier counter. She said the cause of the fire was not immediately known. The towel-drying machine was electrically powered and had been purchased only about three months earlier. Police from Pattaya City Police Station documented the scene and began examining the circumstances surrounding the fire. Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze.
