How did you prepare yourself after hearing the news?

Actually, I went there every day since the day the fire broke out.  The first day, I got there at around 3 to 4 p.m. and did not get to the scene because the fire was so bad that I could not guess whether it would explode again or not.  The first day, I only got photographs of the outside,  but the other day, I got inside. 

As soon as I got the news, I estimated the situation and checked the information about the formats of the fire as well as its strength.  It was talked about more on FaceBook, pictures of smoke were posted on.  I also saw  smoke from home, about 20 kilometres from the scene. 

I realized that it must be big.  I checked more exhaustively: the live feed from people in the area, the news and rescue agencies.  I decided to get to the scene when the evacuation of 1 kilometre radius was announced.  I guessed from the evacuation that there must be some kind of toxic substance leakage or the anxiety of an unexpected event like a repeating explosion, so the evacuation was called.

After checking for information and decision was made.  The next stage was planning to put myself in a safe place and getting photographs.  There is no risk taking.  I have to save myself because my life is more important than photographs. 

The first day, I got the photos of smoke and a helicopter and backed off.  I thought of what would happen next: the evacuation center.  I took photographs of the evacuation center that day.  I did not get into the scene because I was ordered not to get in if not necessary.  I was waiting outside when another senior photographer and a reporter got inside. 

When the fire died down the second day, I decided to get into the area. I prepared an N99 mask to protect myself from the toxic gas.  I thought of what photographs I could get every time I got in.  For the second day, if possible, I wanted to get photographs of a helicopter, rescue workers walking into the scene, the structure of the buildings, fire extinguishing foam, the fire cracking if it did. 

The third day, (The day of the interview, the telephone interview took place as soon as Khun Supanat came back from the scene- the interviewer) I decided to take photographs of the effect on the community.  I explored the area 1 kilometre radius from the scene.  I talked to one person living near the factory.  His house looked very new, but was totally damaged.  He told me that he has been living in this house for ten years and it has just been renovated.  The payment of the finished renovation was made the last two weeks and he has just moved in.  70% of the roof was gone, the ceiling crumbled and the fence collapsed.  All the houses in the area were  like his: the crumbled ceiling.  If it is the wood house, all the woods cracked and twisted. 

The effect of the explosion was severe in the area of the 1 kilometre radius.  Another effect is the smell.  I wore an N95 mask that day, but the smell was still very strong.  No one wears the anti gas mask.  I imagined putting myself in a citizen’s shoes and asked myself whether I could come back to live in the area or not.  The smell was very strong, I could not accept it.  I wanted to get away.  My throat was sore.  I felt dizzy.  I guessed that no one could get back to live in the area, they just got back to check their homes. 

As far as I see, someone got back to fix their roof and ceiling themselves.  I asked what they would do.  They just asked me, “What can I do?”  If I were them, I could not give myself an answer yet.   

I cannot help them, I am just able to present these photographs for others to see what they face.

What was your feeling at the scene?

At the first glance, I felt this must be the biggest explosion I have encountered from my 13 year experience as a photojournalist.  It must, surely, be recorded in history. 

There is an issue I want to follow until the end, but I do not know how to or how long.  I would like to follow the issue of the consequences: water, smell, weather condition, everything.  I would like to know the health effects of the people living there in the next 5 or 10 years.  The explosion is not the concern, but the long term consequences are.  

At what point did you decide to leave the area? 

I anticipated what photographs I could get.  I, so, did not stay there the whole day.  When the situation was quiet, I got back.