Santika Club in Ekkamai, Bangkok
Santika Club was one of Bangkok’s most frequented and renowned clubs, often packed every weekend with famous Thai artists for exciting parties. Today, however, it’s known as the subject of an infamous tragedy. On the fateful night of New Year’s Eve in 2009, the pub was engulfed in flames mere minutes after the clock struck midnight.
Since then, Ekkamai locals have reported sightings of apparitions while passing by, while vigilant netizens and conspiracy theorists have spotted “hints” that may have foreshadowed the accident.
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The unlucky Goodbye Santika 2008 party
Around 1,000 people danced the night away on Santika’s very last night. Once the clock struck 12AM on 1st January 2009, “Happy New Year” fireworks sparked from the performance stage to end off 2008 with roaring crowds.
The tables turned at 12.35AM, from happy cheers to terrified screams, because the embers from the fireworks – which had been sparked indoors – quickly covered the club’s ceiling with huge flames. The whole complex had just two entrances – one for the front and back – and the windows were sealed off with steel bars, essentially trapping patrons in the inferno.
According to investigations, the club didn’t have any fire emergency exits, alarms, or water sprinklers installed.
Santika Club before the fire
Image credit: Onenee
This caused multiple injuries and fatalities. Whilst reported numbers vary since the incident, it can be said that around 50 – 60 lost their lives then, with around 200 partygoers having been injured.
Eerie coincidences surrounding the accident
Image credit: Post Today
The incident occurred at a countdown event named – wait for it – “Goodbye Santika”, where the headlining band’s name was “Burn”.
Aftermath of the fire
Image credit: Stick Boy BKK (Left), Bangkok Eyes (Right)
Even though reported numbers have not been confirmed, there are some sources that claim 66 lives were taken away – not the luckiest number.
A netizen on Siam Zone even claimed that the club’s name, “Santika”, translates to “Satan” or “Hanging Crucifix” from Christian terminology. However, others saw it as sheer coincidence, though it still gave them the heebie-jeebies.
Club and its land remains reportedly haunted
The eerie factors leading up to the unfortunate event are just the tip of the iceberg, as locals around the area have recounted a number of ghost sightings at the club. In one instance, a nearby security guard reportedly heard a woman calling out to him at 3.30AM on 22nd March 2009, three months after the incident.
Female ghost sighting at Santika
Image credit: Post Jung
The local recounted hearing a female voice shouting, “Mr. Security Guard, I’m on the second floor”, and wanted to find the source of the voice. He looked up towards the second floor of Santika, and sure enough, there was a woman in the window. Upon going up to investigate, however, the security guard found no one.
Phone camera capturing a woman’s silhouette
Image credit: Blog Gang
Still puzzled about the strange occurrence that morning, the security guard invited his friend to check out the spot where the woman disappeared. They went up together again in the evening at 5PM.
Upon looking through the ash, broken concrete and other debris, the duo supposedly found bone fragments and one iPhone, which the two friends assume to have belonged to the woman calling for help, reported M Thai.
Image credit: Wikipedia
Mr. Boonchu Polthamoon and Mr. Pramuan Puengpun were two win motorcycle drivers stationed at Sukhumvit 63 Road, where Santika was located. The pair shared that many of their fellow win drivers have stopped to pick up a woman, only for her to vanish off their bikes into thin air.
Another common claim among motorcycle drivers in the area is that they can still hear screams of agony every time they drive past Santika, which has caused them to quit or move stations.
Santika: reminder of a tragic new year’s eve in Bangkok
Santika went from being one of the most famous clubs in Bangkok to a tragic story; since then, Santika’s owner, Mr. Wisuk Sejsawat, and Mr. Boonchu Laosrinak, the person in charge of the pyrotechnics were both sentenced to three years in prison for the lost lives and injuries caused by the fire. The burnt shambles of the club have been bulldozed, with the land now being a tiny banana plantation.
It’s truly unfortunate for those who lost their lives or loved ones in such a manner. So, while reading stories about hauntings and other tragedies, be sure to keep those affected in your thoughts as well.
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Cover images adapted from: Psomeasy (Top Left), Ployalaila (Top Right), Line.17QQ (Bottom Left), Wikipedia (Bottom Right)
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