The tragic news continues to shock after the fire at a brewery in the Ladprao area, which caused many deaths and injuries. Recently, the famous country singer shared her thoughts. “Takkatan Chollada” She opened up after hearing that one of her band members was present at the incident and narrowly escaped, sending support to all those affected.
Regarding last night’s incident, she said, “Seeing the news was very shocking. Our band's guitarist was there that night playing, and we were shocked because in the video he stepped out just one step before the fire broke out. If he hadn’t gotten out in time, it could have been the same for him. We wondered why it was so severe and felt very worried and saddened by what happened. We sent our support to all those affected. I was watching a movie when the news came in around 11 p.m. to midnight—it was a real shock to see how severe it was.”
When asked if she expected it to be someone close to her, she replied, “At first, I didn't think it would be someone close. Seeing the video and realizing it was our guitarist was even more shocking. We couldn’t contact anyone at the time; things were probably chaotic. We sent encouragement and managed to talk on the phone to lift each other’s spirits. He lost all his equipment, his livelihood tools. We’ve provided initial help of 100,000 baht.”
Asked when she got in touch, she said, “In the morning. I asked him how he was, but he said he hadn’t slept yet and was still shocked and panicked. He was probably going to the police station to file a report first. The damaged equipment was what he used to play with me. He didn’t have a lot of gear. Everyone knows musical instruments are expensive, worth hundreds of thousands.”
Regarding any physical injuries, she said, “He had minor injuries from flying sparks. Like I said, he stepped out just one second before the fire came. He said he saw thick black smoke first. At first, he wanted to go back for his guitar, but friends told him to leave it, so he stepped out immediately. He usually plays with us regularly, but we allow him to freelance to earn a living. He’ll probably have to make new life plans. He lost a lot, but most importantly, the shock and trauma.”
She was asked about having performed at that venue herself. “I had just played there not long ago. It was shocking, and I was mostly worried about everyone because human life is the most important thing. Everything else can be replaced.”
When asked if she checked safety measures when performing there, she said, “Usually the crew checks the entrance and exit, but honestly, when I performed, I was focused on the work and didn’t pay much attention to that.” She confirmed, “Yes, the issues with the exits shown in the news were true.”
About future measures for accepting gigs, she said, “I can’t set standards for accepting jobs. We have to work and support many lives. We have to keep earning a living. All I can do is plead with venues to implement better standards and improve safety to protect customers more. I think this is the best place to make such requests.”
On how they check entrances and exits when going to events, she said, “The team helps re-check the entrances and exits, but they don’t investigate deeply. (Will this change?) We need to do some checks, glance to see where the emergency exits are, whether they are locked. We have to check a bit because it’s dangerous—any incident could be fatal. Most equipment there is highly flammable.”
Asked if she’s hesitant to perform in nightclubs now, she answered, “It’s possible I’m hesitant because I support many lives and have to consider many people. I just plead with venues to maintain better safety standards.”
Asked if she had previously encountered safety concerns that worried her, she said, “I think many places have issues. I have to be careful myself. It’s not just up to the venue; everyone must protect themselves and do their part.”
Regarding problems she’s faced, she said, “Mostly issues reported in the news, like cigarette smoke. I try to protect myself; if I have to stay long, I wear a mask. We all have to look out for each other.”
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