Bangkok officials have reported that 27 people died and dozens more were injured after a fire tore through a popular pub in the Thai capital. Emergency exits were reportedly blocked by obstacles that prevented many people from escaping the thick smoke.
The blaze broke out at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub in the busy Chatuchak district of northern Bangkok shortly after midnight on Sunday (12th July). The area is well-connected by urban rail and sits adjacent to two shopping malls, within walking distance of cinemas, large parks and the popular Chatuchak weekend market, a major draw for foreign tourists.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited the site early Monday (13th July), said: “We have recovered 27 bodies. Others are being sent to hospital.”
According to Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, another 63 people were injured, including 22 who were critically injured and taken to hospital.
Initial assessments by disaster officials point to an electrical short circuit in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner as the likely cause. The fire is believed to have started at the pub’s front stage section and spread rapidly, prompting many patrons to flee toward the back of the venue, where the kitchen and bathrooms are located.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said: “There are two fire exits, one is near the kitchen. There were beer crates in the way.” He added that a table blocked the other exit, hindering evacuation. “We need to wait for forensic investigators to examine the scene more closely,” Sittipunt said.
A video of the incident, posted on social media and verified by Reuters, showed thick smoke billowing from the pub before an intense horizontal plume of fire jetted out of a doorway.
Survivors and first responders described scenes of chaos as smoke filled the venue. A band member at the pub told local media that smoke suddenly filled the room after the lights briefly went out, followed by a massive explosion and fire. “After the explosion I didn’t see anybody trying to run, most of them were on the floor asking for help,” he said, his head still bandaged, without giving his name. “I ran towards the door from the stage, about 5 metres. It was dark and there was smoke, no oxygen.”
Laotian tourist Kan Kutirat, who was drinking alone at the bar around 10pm Sunday (12th July), told AFP he noticed smoke rising near the stage before hearing loud screaming from inside. “I heard loud screaming from a lot of people inside, chaos happened.” He shared a video on Facebook, verified by AFP, showing patrons, several with their shirts ablaze, fleeing into the street as flames surged out the door. “I never experienced anything like this before,” he said. “The images are still stuck in my mind.” Kutirat helped carry a woman out of the bar and later posted: “I could only get one person out. I tried my best. I’m sorry.”
Firefighter Chakrit Khongkom, 45, arrived on the first fire truck and found the pub ablaze with many patrons stranded inside. Several were trying to escape from the back, and the few who emerged from the front were burnt. “The smoke was everywhere,” he said. “Most of the survivors were choking on smoke.” Khongkom added that a rescue and search squad found many people inside the toilet, having fled there because they saw the flames at the front.
Body camera footage from an emergency worker showed firefighters in oxygen masks moving through the darkened pub with torches, with several victims found lying near the toilets. Rescue workers carried in stretchers as the footage revealed the fire-damaged main room, its bar tables and stools still visible. In the early hours, emergency personnel remained at the scene as bodies were prepared for transport and forensic teams collected evidence, with numbered bodies lying in two rows awaiting removal. Firefighters stood near the pub’s entrance, its facade scorched and blackened.
Sukanya Wongwongwai, 32, waited outside searching for a missing friend who had been singing on stage. “My friend, who was singing on stage, said at first they noticed the smell of something burning, then a little after they saw the ceiling was on fire,” Wongwongwai said. “Some people were injured because of the debris from the ceiling because it seems that the ceiling was made out of foam material to absorb sound.”
The tragedy has raised serious questions about fire safety in entertainment venues in Bangkok, with authorities investigating possible negligence related to the obstructed exits and the building’s condition. It marks one of the city’s deadliest fires in recent years. Officials have pledged stricter safety inspections across similar establishments to prevent future incidents. As forensic work continues, families search for loved ones while the city mourns the victims of the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub fire.
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