Thai Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, Supama, has instructed the Office of the Consumer Protection Board to urgently establish a Special Complaint and Coordination Center in Pattaya in response to the hotel fire that occurred on the night of the 21st, fully activating mechanisms for tourist assistance and consumer rights protection.
She stated that all hotel guests are considered “consumers” protected under the Consumer Protection Act, and have the right to safe services and reasonable compensation.
She pointed out that the Special Complaint Center will directly receive complaints, assess damages, and promote mediation and compensation processes, while also providing clarification and assistance regarding rights to foreign tourists.
She emphasized that if negotiations fail to reach an agreement, the relevant departments will initiate subrogation litigation according to the law, without any cost to the consumers.
Supama also used this opportunity to call on the entire Thai hotel industry to strengthen fire prevention systems, escape routes, and emergency drills in order to genuinely ensure tourist safety.
This fire occurred at the Sunday JA Plus Hotel in Chonburi Province and resulted in several Thai and foreign tourists being temporarily trapped, with a total of 4 people injured, including 3 staying guests and 1 hotel staff member.
The authorities have quickly carried out subsequent disposal and rescue coordination work. The Secretary-General of the Consumer Protection Board, Ronarong, has ordered relevant departments to join forces with local agencies to investigate and aid victims, and to handle aftermath matters in two categories: The first group comprises those hospitalized, for whom the hotel has agreed to cover medical expenses and offer compensation; the second group concerns affected reserved guests, who, if concerned about accommodation safety, can receive a full refund.
Currently, approximately 240 hotel guests have been urgently transferred to nearby hotels for temporary accommodation. The exact cause of the fire is still under further forensic investigation.