I got a taxi yesterday and the driver said something about a nightclub in Bangkok. I had no idea what he wanted to say and found it pretty odd me being in Indonesia that a taxi driver was talking about a nightclub in Bangkok. Only later did I find out about the tragedy at a nightclub in Bangkok, leaving over 60 people dead and 200 injured.

I had never been to the place, but I have been to plenty of discos, bars and nightclubs all over Asia that are potential deathtraps.

Most bars in Japan are reached by elevators and probably nothing more than a tiny stairwell for an emergency exit. In Tokyo there are so many tall narrow buildings with different bars on every level. I have been in some bars that were packed and if there was a fire or earthquake, it would be impossible to escape.

I celebrated New Years here in Indonesia and while they don’t have the problems with alcohol like in Australia, people were letting off firecrackers all over the city. It was fun, but you can sort of understand why they were banned in Australia.