Anti-graft Body Charges Ex-Sattahip Chief Over Illegal Venue Fire
Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission has charged the former Sattahip district officer and eight others for permitting the unlicensed Mountain B venue to operate in a prohibited area. The venue, which opened in mid‑2022, caught fire in August 2022 due to substandard wiring, killing 26 people. The NACC said the officials face criminal charges under the Penal Code and anti‑corruption law, as well as serious disciplinary action.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission said former Sattahip district officer Lt. Col. Chatchai Sriphothon and eight others allowed the Mountain B entertainment venue (No. 2/51, Moo 7, Plu Tai Luang, Sattahip) to operate without a licence in a zone where such establishments are forbidden. Investigators found the building was erected without permits and not reported to local authorities under building control regulations, with construction starting in May 2022 and the venue opening in early June 2022 as an entertainment establishment under the 1966 Entertainment Establishments Act, despite lacking the required licence. The venue was later deemed a comparable establishment under NCPO Order 22/2558. Complaints about loud music between 2 am and 3 am led to investigations that showed the Sattahip area is not zoned for entertainment venues, making the operation illegal. On 5 August 2022 at about 1 am, a fire caused by faulty electrical wiring killed 26 people and injured many others. The NACC concluded that the accused officials are criminally liable under Penal Code Section 157 and the Organic Act on Anti‑Corruption 2061 Section 172, and also face serious disciplinary charges. A ninth official, Phusit Wongphakdi, was cleared of criminal liability due to insufficient evidence but may face a minor disciplinary sanction.
