A major fire at a Pattaya hoteel brought out a massive response from Pattaya police and Pattaya emergency services. The scene of the fire was The Apex Hotel which is located on Second Road just past soi Diana and almost opposite the back of Mike Shopping Mall.
5 fire engines and dozens of fire fighters responded to the scene along with dozens more police officers called on to control and re-direct traffic away from the scene. Fire fighters rushed up to the top floor of the building where a storeroom on the roof was well ablaze. They directed their hoses on the room and it took over 30 minutes to bring under control.
The hotel is a low budget hotel which is well known and loved by Thai and foreign tourists and especially foreign tourists with Thai friends. Hotel management and security guards sounded the alarm and evacuated all the guests safely.
The room where the fire began was used to store documents and old mattresses for the hotel and was totally destroyed in the blaze. The front section of the hotel which is the original hotel building - there is a new wing at the rear by the swimming pool sustained smoke and water damage to many of the rooms and public areas.
Officials speculate that an electrical short circuit in the storeroom may have ignitied flammable materials but a more thorough forensic examination will be needed to confirm this.
