The firework warehouse explosion in Narathiwat province last week has raised questions over how it was possible to have a warehouse containing a large quantity of volatile materials located in the heart of a community.
The warehouse was built recently and did not hold a hazardous substance permit for such storage. The explosion caused 11 deaths and injured more than a hundred people.
Thai PBS’s southern bureau reported fireworks, firecrackers and similar products have been popular in the province for quite some time now, not just with local clients but also in neighbouring Malaysia as well, especially during festivals or holidays, such as Malaysia’s independence day and Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Fireworks and pyrotechnics are lucrative business in Narathiwat, with people willing to invest and do business in both legal and illegal products. The illegal product trade attracts a certain level of bribery.
Sources say there are well-known fireworks warehouses and retail outlets in the province, one in Su-Ngai Kolok, one in Waeng and another one in Tak Bai. It is known among clients that the one in Tak Bai does not have physical shop and arrangements need to be made for collection.
Most merchandise enters Malaysia via the Kolok River, without having to get a permit and paying tax. Another way is by land through the border check point, where the business owner has to bribe officials to get through.
When doing business in Narathiwat, several local “agencies” are involved in the process, including:
- The agency that issues the logistics permit. (Permit is good for 6 months)
- Monthly payments to the agency involved in security in the area (up to 30,000 Baht)
- Payments to the crime suppression unit that comes to inspect businesses around holidays. (30,000 Baht/unit/visit)
- Payments to special task force or rapid response units (3,000 – 5,000 Baht per time)
- Bribes in the case of arrest, to reduce the charges. (At least 30,000 Baht per time)
