Koh Chang’s famous ‘abandoned ship hotel’ goes up in flames
The authorities are contacting the owner to estimate damages as firefighters reckon it will take three days for the flames to consume the property
Koh Chang’s famous yet abandoned ship hotel was engulfed in flames on Tuesday morning, with firefighters saying there was no chance of extinguishing the blaze.
Pol Colonel Wallop Klangwanthip, chief of the Koh Chang Police Station, said the former Grand Laguna Hotel went up in flames at 11.50am. Strong winds caused the blaze to spread quickly and firefighters reported that their efforts were limited to preventing the fire from spreading further.
The Grand Laguna Hotel, dubbed by locals as the “abandoned ship hotel”, is a popular photo spot for visitors to the island in Trat province.
Wallop said the fire started at the back of the hotel and rapidly spread to the front. He said he immediately informed Jakkrit Salakphet, mayor of the Koh Chang Tai subdistrict, who called on the Koh Chang district chief to send additional assistance. Wallop said he then coordinated with Jakkrit to mobilise some 50 firefighters to help control the fire.
Despite their efforts, Jakkrit said the blaze was too strong for the firefighters to manage. The fire spread quickly from the ground floor to the fifth floor, consuming the entire building. Officials from the Mu Koh Chang National Marine Park and firefighters believe that the fire got out of hand because of the building’s wooden structure and strong sea winds.
The authorities had not determined the cause of the fire as of press time.
Jakkrit added that the authorities are contacting the hotel owner Olan Assavaritthikul to estimate the damage cost.
The hotel, which opened in 1992, was once popular, but due to declining business, Olan ceased its operations and put the property up for sale for 1 billion baht. However, no potential buyers have come forward so far.
