‘Am I still beautiful?’ Fire victim’s words before hospitalisation

The boyfriend of a woman critically injured in a deadly beer hall fire in Bangkok has described her tearful plea for reassurance about her appearance as she awaited rescue. "I can’t take it anymore. I’m in so much pain. Am I still beautiful?" 31-year-old Tatsanai reportedly asked her boyfriend, Phitsanu Nim-mian, as she lay outside the burning venue. Phitsanu recounted that Tatsanai had gone out with colleagues from the clinic where she worked on Sunday night. He had driven her to the venue around 9 p.m. and planned to pick her up later. However, a flat tire on his way home delayed his return. Upon returning home, he was contacted by someone who identified himself as being at the scene, initially claiming Tatsanai had lost her phone before revealing she had been severely burned. Phitsanu rushed back to the venue to find it engulfed in flames and thick smoke. He saw Tatsanai had managed to escape the building, with her hair and head on fire. Bystanders extinguished the flames with a cloth before she was attended to by rescue workers. He stated that Tatsanai had mentioned the venue's exit was narrow, forcing her to run through the flames. Phitsanu expressed deep sorrow for her ordeal. "I told her, 'It's all right. Focus on getting treatment first. No matter what happens to you, I accept everything. Just come home and be with the children. It doesn’t matter if anything was lost. I only want you to be safe,'" he recounted. Phitsanu emphasized the need for entertainment venues to have more emergency exits and clearly marked evacuation signs, noting that Tatsanai had described both the entrance and exit as narrow. He also addressed reports that an emergency exit might have been locked to prevent patrons from leaving without paying. "If that is true, it is completely unacceptable," he said. "Money should never be considered more important than people’s lives. If something like this happens again, how many more people will die, and who will take responsibility?" Tatsanai is not covered by the Social Security scheme and is currently receiving treatment under emergency medical provisions. Her family is worried about the costs if she remains in critical condition beyond the initial 72-hour coverage. Doctors confirmed Tatsanai has severe burns on her arms, legs, face, and back. Her hair was also burned, and permission was sought to shave her head for wound cleaning. Hospital visits have been suspended due to infection risk. Her father, 61-year-old Thuan Manpraphan, stated that Tatsanai is in the intensive care unit. Although regaining consciousness, she suffered burns across most of her body, excluding her face. He expressed concern about the medical expenses, as the family has limited financial resources. Phitsanu met with Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt to request assistance. He was advised to register at the police station and was assured of government support. Information source: Khaosod English