State shutters local Thai restaurants

A group of area Thai restaurants remained closed Monday after the state ordered them shut down last week for a reported workers compensation insurance violation.

The state Division of Industrial Accidents issued a stop order against Bangkok Cuisine on Thursday, forcing all five locations to close, restaurant owner Somsak "Sam" Sangworn said.

"I want to get open real bad," Sangworn said, hoping to get approval to reopen today.

There are locations at 2 Independence Drive, Hyannis; 67 Circuit Ave., Oak Bluffs; the Patriot Square Mall, South Dennis; 10 Court St., Plymouth; and 46 Route 6A, Orleans. A Falmouth location was destroyed by fire Feb. 21 when a blaze broke out in a dryer at an adjoining laundromat.

Sangworn said the state originally started fining him Feb. 7 when it said it could not find his workers compensation insurance policy in its records. Sangworn said his insurance agent had recently changed his policy, but it was not showing up in the state's system.

The Division of Industrial Accidents ordered him to close all five restaurants Thursday, he said, saying he indeed had a policy, but he needed one for each location. Each restaurant is separately incorporated. Sangworn said his agent switched the restaurants to separate policies but the hasn't been recognized yet by the state.

"It's frustrating," Sangworn said.

Sam and his wife "Tana" Sangworn had six locations but their Falmouth business was destroyed by fire Feb. 21 when flames from a laundromat fire spread to their location. The state fire marshal's office concluded the fire at Town Laundry started in one of its dryers.

Sangworn said he has been focusing on his workers comp insurance, which has prevented him from dealing with the fire at his Falmouth restaurant.

State labor officials did not return messages seeking comment about the stop-work order issued against the restaurants.