Fire at Classic Boys in Bangkok

[Guest fountainhall]

I got this from another website, but have not found it confirmed anywhere else - so I am not sure how accurate the report is.

 

Seems there was a fire upstairs at Classic Boys (end of Soi Twilight in Bangkok) on Sunday. It did not affect the bar downstairs, but reports say 3 of the boys were killed. If true, it's all very sad, but it highlights how much of a death trap many of the gay bars and clubs are.

[Gaybutton]

I hope nothing like that actually happened. So far I have not seen anything about it in any of the English language media, but whether it happened or not, fire safety does not seem to be one of the strong suits in very many bars and clubs. Even though the odds are that nothing will happen while you are in a bar, the very fact that it could happen is reason enough to be aware of escape routes and where you are sitting. There have enough tragic incidents in Thailand's night venues to warrant keeping fire safety in mind.

 

GaySacGuy, if you see this message perhaps you can give everyone some safety tips, especially if you have advice about things most people don't even think of.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

This is from the "Rice Queen Diary"

 

According to the information I received last night from several sources, the Classic Boys GoGo Bar in BKK Soi Twilight caught fire around 5pm Saturday evening. According to the boys it started on the second or third floor and was caused by an electrical problem. As far as I know there were no injuries or fatalities from the fire.

 

One of the boys had a video of it on his cell phone. There was a large plume of smoke coming from the bar, and you could even see a slight orange glow. It appears the fire was contained to the upper floors that are used for, among other things, sleeping quarters for the boys. A friend and I took a peek inside the place and observed extensive water damage to the first floor.

 

We got two different answers on how soon the bar plans to reopen, one week and one month. I have no idea which is accurate. Most, if not all, the boys have temporarily relocated to the neighboring X Size Bar. I popped in for a drink and only spotted two familiar Classic Boys faces. We were told several of the boys had gone home for the night.

 

 

I hope that the above from RQD is correct...sounds much more real.

 

Also, I will give you a little free (just so you know what it is worth) fire safety advice. When you enter a club, take a second to look around for other exits and windows, and don't believe all the EXIT signs...many may be locked or blocked.

 

If you are unfortunate to be in a club during a fire incident, there are two things that you should do....Stay Calm (Don't panic) and keep down low to the floor. Use your head to see that you are doing something reasonable, and stay low to the floor...crawl if you must...and go to the exit. Fire itself doesn't kill many people...it is the smoke and gases from the fire, and/or being trampled (not a problem in small venues, but could be serious in large venues like dance areas). So, keep your wits about you, get low to the floor, and go to the exit...don't rush blindly, as it will probably make things worse.

[Guest BobbO]

As a retired firefighter, it makes me nervous when the guys do those damned candle shows. Hot wax on bare flesh brings back too many memories. I've seen the dancers set fire to string or streamers from earlier decorations by waving a handful of flaming candles. I've been known to excuse myself until the show is over.

[Guest fountainhall]

Since no other site has mentioned any fatalities as a result of the fire, apologies for my misleading comment at the start of this thread. During my wanderings on Sunday evening, I noticed the boys from Classic seem to have been farmed out to a number of bars.

[Gaybutton]

apologies for my misleading comment at the start of this thread.

Yes, and it's a good thing it didn't happen like that, but your post brings up the important issue of fire safety and it's never too often to give it serious thought.