A devastating fire at the Rong Beer Na Ladprao bar in Bangkok has claimed the lives of at least 27 people, marking the city's deadliest blaze in 17 years. The incident, which broke out late Sunday in a northern part of the Thai capital, required firefighters to work for half an hour to bring the flames under control. While the Erawan emergency services center reported 73 people injured and 27 dead, the Bangkok city government provided a slightly higher death toll of 28. Additionally, city officials confirmed that 25 people remained hospitalized in critical condition following the disaster.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt stated that the majority of the fatalities were caused by smoke inhalation. Forensic officers spent Monday morning cordoning off the site to search for clues regarding the fire's origin. The scene was littered with debris, including charred television sets, speakers, and an electric guitar, while empty beer bottles remained visible on burned tables through the bar's shattered, street-facing windows. The venue, which describes itself as a brewery or beer hall, had a capacity for up to 600 customers, though the exact number of people present on Sunday night remains unclear.
National Police Chief Kittharath Punpetch, who visited the scene on Monday, reported that most of the victims were found trapped in windowless bathrooms near one of the rear exits. He suggested that these individuals likely sought shelter there to escape the flames. According to the police chief, the exit was not utilized, possibly because it was blocked by a table set up in a hall to sell candy, or because the area was too dark for patrons to navigate. Furthermore, access to another exit near the kitchen may have been obstructed by shelving units and lockers. There were also indications that some of the exit doors might have been locked.
Investigators are currently focusing their efforts on the ceiling above the performance stage, where they discovered materials that may have been used for decoration. Police intend to examine whether these materials were flammable and how the electrical wiring was installed across the ceiling. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters that a musician performing at the bar reported seeing smoke emanating from a circuit breaker near the stage just before the power failed. This was followed by an explosion and the rapid spread of thick, black smoke throughout the building.
Video footage shared on social media captured the intensity of the scene, showing flames shooting out of the single-story structure as people fled. In the aftermath, Buddhist monks visited the site to offer prayers for the victims, while nurses distributed face masks to those nearby to protect them from lingering smoke and fumes. A registration site was established to assist relatives searching for their loved ones.
Singer Sukanya Wongwongwai, who was performing at a nearby venue, rushed to the scene after learning that her bandmates were performing at the bar. She reported that one band member died, three were hospitalized, and one was initially missing, though the band later confirmed on Facebook that the missing member had been located in a hospital. The bar also issued a statement on Facebook, offering apologies and condolences while confirming that it is cooperating with investigators. The bar's owner is currently in an intensive care unit suffering from serious injuries.
Grieving families gathered at Bangkok's Institute of Forensic Medicine to identify the deceased. Among them was 24-year-old Keo Oudone Poungpany, a migrant worker from Laos who was at the institute to identify the body of his younger brother. Both brothers were employed at the bar. Poungpany recounted being in a restroom outside the building when the fire started and described the horror of hearing loud noises and seeing crowds fleeing the flames. He expressed his heartbreak, stating that he only wished to bring his brother's body home to their parents.
This tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly fires in Thailand. In 2022, a fire at a music bar in the eastern part of the country killed 14 people. More than a decade earlier, on January 1, 2009, a fire at the Santika nightclub in Bangkok killed 67 people and injured more than 200 others during a New Year's Eve celebration, an incident that was reportedly sparked by an indoor fireworks display.
