Fire Kills at Least 27 in Bangkok Pub

UPDATE

Police Probe Bar Fire at Lat Phrao

Picture courtesy of Amarin

Police have identified the suspected point where a deadly fire started at a popular entertainment venue in Bangkok, as investigators continue examining the cause of a blaze that killed 27 people and injured 63 others.

The fire broke out near Soi Lat Phrao 1 in Chatuchak district, at 11.57pm on July 12. The single-storey concrete building, topped with a metal sheet roof, was extensively damaged, with around 164 square metres affected by the fire.

Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelabutr said initial findings suggest the blaze may have been caused by negligence. He ordered police investigators and forensic officers to gather evidence, question witnesses and determine the exact cause before identifying those responsible and pursuing legal action.

Pol Gen Thatchai said all agencies had been instructed to prioritise public safety while the criminal investigation continues. He added that investigators would carefully examine all available evidence before deciding on any charges.

Pol Maj Gen Watee Asawutmangkurn, commander of the Police Forensic Science Division, said officers had already identified the suspected origin of the fire near the venue’s stage. A more detailed inspection was scheduled to start at 9am on July 13, with physics and chemistry specialists joining the investigation to establish the precise cause.

The fire left 63 people injured, with casualties were transported to multiple hospitals across Bangkok, while the death toll stood at 27, including nine men and 18 women.

The tragedy has also prompted scrutiny of the venue’s emergency exits after social media users shared a customer review posted last year claiming there was only one exit from the premises if an emergency occurred.

The venue’s administrator had replied to that review at the time, stating: “There are four emergency exits, but they will only be opened in an emergency, and our staff can handle the situation.”

Amarin reported that authorities are expected to compare those claims with physical evidence collected during the forensic examination as part of the wider investigation into the disaster.

Video from morning of 13 July 2026

13 July 2026

2 hours ago, temuFarang said:

These authorities appear not to learn from the past and fail to take actions that would improve safety in the future.

My question is: while they hold the owner and staff responsible, will they hold the government employees who conducted a crap inspection for dereliction of duty?

The fact that there were no emergency lights for exit signs and that the area was made of flammable material did not happen overnight.

Blaming a table that can be shoved out of the way for all these deaths is high on the stupid list. Yes it should not have been there but hey if people could not see the exit what difference does it make.

Just looked at the bar on Google, and it had 2 small doors at the ends of the building. They very easily could have had a large 2-door in the middle; again, this reeks of inspectors not doing their job. If the doors were ot up to code, then the inspectors should be sacked and the BMA should get ready for the law suits

Few years back took a friend from the US, in the construction business, to a dance club in the basement of a 5-star hotel near the Ratchaprasong intersection. Fun place with lots of, er, international women.

We walk in, he walks around, comes back and says he's leaving. Why? "There's only one exit, it's too narrow, this wall's flammable material, so is that, look at the seating, this place is a death trap. One electrical short and we all die."

And that was/is supposedly one of the top night spots in Bkk.

1 hour ago, ronster said:

What's causing the flame at the main door ?

I thought at first it was the flames inside being sucked outward from when they opened the doors , but the way it moves up and down before fully blasting out it would suggest it's something flammable coming from a pipe or hose near the door .

Looks like a flashover. When certain organic materials are heated, they undergo thermal decomposition and release flammable gases.

Same happened in London's King Cross tube station fire in 1987 when a flashover and a jet of flames shot up the escalator shaft, striking the ceiling of the ticket hall and filling it with intense heat and thick black smoke, killing or seriously injuring most of the people still in the ticket hall:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashover

13 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Blaming a table that can be shoved out of the way for all these deaths is high on the stupid list.

Especially since the emergency exit door should open to the outside, not to the inside.

It's possible as there was no details on the type of exit door and security of the door inside and outside and how it was secured to prevent entrance from outside, ie., outside padlock?

Given the "emergency exit door" would not open from the inside, seems there was either no municipal inspection or meaningless inspection that the door functioned correctly in case of a fire.

People should have learned from Crans-Montana.

Repeated safety flaws to save money or use extra space, while blocking fire exits.

2 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Especially since the emergency exit door should open to the outside, not to the inside.

It's possible as there was no details on the type of exit door and security of the door inside and outside and how it was secured to prevent entrance from outside, ie., outside padlock?

Given the "emergency exit door" would not open from the inside, seems there was either no municipal inspection or meaningless inspection that the door functioned correctly in case of

He said preliminary reports indicated that a table used to sell sweets and other items had been placed in front of the fire exit, potentially obstructing the escape route,

Looking at the front of the bar, I would guess that they are on the right side, and you can see a little door there. Definitely not big enough to be a fire exit for a place that size.

So if the fire started at the stage, we know who is going to get blamed, and that will be the performers for overloading an extension cord.

I still say the bottom line to all this is tht the BMA did not do it's job and issued llicenses without even looking and there definitely has to be an investigation into the fire marshal and his staff that allowed the set up and I am willing to bet that if the owner hangs he will not go down alone unless BMA makes concessions tohim..

Very sad.

Ever since the New Years nightclub fire in Bangkok years ago, I make a point of staying within close proximity of the front door of any such establishment. Close enough that I could be out the door in a second or two, if need be. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but these kinds of fires can and will happen.

Another Santika. One more time, never learn.

This is a very horrible incident and if the owner and or the employees are responsible in any way then they should be roasted in the court of law and punished accordingly.

'no clearly identifiable emergency exit' - In past such tragedies, the fire exits were padlocked shut to prevent illegals entering.

28 minutes ago, nexus7 said:

Looks like a flashover. When certain organic materials are heated, they undergo thermal decomposition and release flammable gases.

Same happened in London's King Cross tube station fire in 1987 when a flashover and a jet of flames shot up the escalator shaft, striking the ceiling of the ticket hall and filling it with intense heat and thick black smoke, killing or seriously injuring most of the people still in the ticket hall:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashover

Looks like the ceiling soundproofing materials again, burn very quickly and emit a lot of toxic fumes, that would explain the powerful flames coming out the door - first place the flashover could escape.

The pictures show severe damage to the ceiling, but the plastic chairs, tables etc. on the ground seem to have very little burning or melting, just smoke/soot damage.

If building safety was a moneymaker, they would do it. But since it’s not, safety is the least important thing. Plus, the owner can call his connections, and everything will work out for him after saying sorry and paying some money. Maybe the owner will publicly become a monk for a couple months. Then all is well!

...A Sad Testimonial...(?)

...Total Disregard For The Customers' Safety & Well-Being...(?)

...The Bottom Line Is...The Bottom Line...(?)

...Rules/Regulations/Bylaws/Necessary Improvements Be Damned... (?)

...Horrific End-Results...

...What Punishment ...Or...Recourse For The Victims' Families... (?)

...Probably Nil In Both Instances... (?)

...Condolences To The Families Of The Victims...

This is what you get in a totally corrupt country No safety !! Fire Inspections if any just slip a few baht all is fine !! this is not the first time and it wont be the last !!

So awful.

It's Mountain B all over again. The videos from Mountain B still haunt me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_B_nightclub_fire

We all know it has happened before and that it will happen again. There is no respect for the law which is never enforced, and Thais seem to have absolutely no concept of safety measures in any part of their daily life. You can be 100% certain that not a single customer gave even a fleeting thought about whether the place was safe or not.

Whats the significance of the ciggie lighter collection ?

Yep that acoustic sound deadener stuff lining the roof sure does burn good.

33 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Especially since the emergency exit door should open to the outside, not to the inside.

It's possible as there was no details on the type of exit door and security of the door inside and outside and how it was secured to prevent entrance from outside, ie., outside padlock?

Given the "emergency exit door" would not open from the inside, seems there was either no municipal inspection or meaningless inspection that the door functioned correctly in case of a fire.

Sad but true . Many nightclubs have their fire exit escapes either blocked off or ( rarely ) attended by staff . The reason for this , in both cases is that customers who are already inside the nightclub will sometimes open the exit to let friends in for free . Simple enough to put an alarm on the door , also CCTV .

I don't know the regulations in Thailand but many Western countries state that an annual licence for places of entertainment must have certificate of fire safety compliance issued by the local fire department . Also there are unannounced inspections .The staff are often trained in health & safety , fire drills and marshalling customers to fire exits . Clearly not happening in Thailand .

But Thailand is not alone in fire safety . Remember last year in North Macedonia when 63 people were killed in a night club fire .

This pathetic excuse of a governor is either completely incompetent, completely corrupt, or totally apathetic.

Every time an event like this happens you hear about how they will increase safety standards double down on inspections and make sure this never happens again. Those promises appear to have been forgotten a month later.

These deaths did not have to happen, if the safety standards were better, and if the inspections were carried out regularly to ensure that there are proper emergency exits, and proper fire suppression systems in place.

3 hours ago, Kiwirod said:

l am amazed at the amount of cheap plastic chairs/seats in the place!!!! These cheap seats give off toxic fumes if they catch fire or are close to a high heat source.!!!!

I am looking at photos of the ceiling taken on April 2026 before the fire and the whole ceiling is covered with sound absorption materials. Hard to tell what the material is made from but it looks like black plastic foam. There are also many hanging plastic flowers and fake grass decorations above the music stage which is apparently where the fire started. It is a huge venue with many dozens of tables so the place would have been pretty crowded. Someone reported elsewhere that there was a table selling sweets which was blocking the rear fire exit.

I feel so very sad for the poor victims and their loved ones. 😭