Crime
French Tourist Dies in Khao San Road Fire
Thai firemen and rescue workers take a break after extinguishing an early morning fire at Bangkok's tourist district Khao San Road on Monday. The blaze engulfed a three-story illegal hotel, killing a 27-year-old French tourist. The cause of the fire is unknown. (EPA Photo)
CHIANGRAI TIMES – A French tourist has been killed in an overnight fire that engulfed an illegally operated budget hotel in one of the Thai capital’s main tourist districts.
Police say the fire started at a bar on the ground floor of a three-story building in the city’s Khao San Road neighborhood, an area popular with backpackers and budget travelers. Five tourists escaped but a 27-year-old Frenchman was found burned to death.
Police Capt. Charnchai Changwang said Monday that the top floor of the building was occupied by an illegal guesthouse offering small rooms at cheap rates. The hotel was not registered with authorities and not subject to safety inspections.
