CHON BURI — Four people were injured in a hotel fire in Pattaya on Thursday night, with police initially suspecting the cause was an electrical short circuit.
The blaze broke out on the rooftop of the eight-storey Sunday JA Plus Hotel on North Pattaya 3 Road in Bang Lamung district. At the time, about 240 guests occupied roughly 120 of the hotel's 173 rooms. Guests evacuated as flames and smoke spread from the rooftop to part of the seventh floor.
Firefighters and rescue teams from multiple agencies, including Pattaya City and Nong Prue municipality, rushed to the scene with fire trucks to extinguish the flames. The blaze was brought under control by 10.48pm.
Damage was concentrated on the rooftop and part of the seventh floor. Teams checked all rooms and confirmed there were no persons trapped inside.
According to authorities, four people were treated for injuries. Two Thai woman and one Indonesian boy suffered from smoke inhalation, and one Thai man was hurt while fleeing through the flames. All were taken to nearby hospitals.
The remaining guests, including a mix of Thai, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and Indonesian nationals, were accounted for and unharmed apart from distress.
Officials coordinated assistance and arranged temporary accommodation for the displaced guests at nearby hotels.
Authorities temporarily closed the hotel building over safety concerns.
Police and fire investigators were investigating the cause, with an electrical short circuit among the possibilities.
