PATTAYA, Thailand – A two-storey residential house was severely damaged after a fire broke out in central Pattaya on June 23. An elderly homeowner narrowly escaped after neighbours alerted her to the danger. At approximately 12:20 p.m., the Pattaya City Disaster Prevention Radio Center received a report of a house fire near the Bali Hai overpass in South Pattaya. Firefighters from Pattaya City, supported by three fire engines, were dispatched to the scene along with police from Pattaya Police Station and rescue volunteers from the Sawang Boriboon.
At the scene, a two-storey semi-wooden house, registered as No. 489/2, was found with heavy flames engulfing the second floor. Thick black smoke was visible from a distance as firefighters rushed to contain the blaze. It took approximately 30 minutes to bring the fire under control. The property was found to be severely damaged. The homeowner, identified as 74-year-old Mrs. Thongjua, was visibly shaken after the incident. She said she was alone in the house at the time and heard a loud “popping” sound coming from the second floor before noticing signs of smoke.
She said a neighbor then shouted a warning after seeing smoke rising from the roof, urging her to evacuate immediately. Moments later, the fire intensified rapidly on the upper floor, forcing her to run out of the house just in time. “I was in shock. If my neighbors had not called out to me, I might not have made it out,” she said. Police cordoned off the area for safety and are investigating the cause of the fire. Initial assessments suggest the blaze may have been caused by an electrical short circuit. Forensic officers will be called in to determine the exact cause.
