Fire destroys restaurant near Ao Yon beach in Wichit

A fire gutted Zodiad restaurant near Ao Yon beach in Wichit, Phuket, on the morning of 18 September, with preliminary damage estimated at more than B500,000.

Police and firefighters were alerted at 11:56am after residents reported flames at the restaurant on Ao Yon–Khao Khat Road. Pol Lt Col Watcharakorn Suwan, deputy investigation officer at Wichit Police Station, and crews from the Wichit Municipality Fire Department attended the scene.

The three-storey and two-storey stepped building, located in front of a roadside hotel, was already ablaze when emergency teams arrived. Strong winds fanned the flames and raised concerns that the fire could spread to neighbouring structures.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control after more than 30 minutes of continuous water application. A subsequent inspection found that the restaurant and all its contents had been completely destroyed.

Initial indications pointed to an electrical short circuit as the likely cause, but forensic science officers were still examining the site to determine the precise origin of the fire.