Former MP and senator Suradet Yasawat has called for the owners of a Lat Phrao bar and relevant state officials to face criminal, civil and disciplinary action following a fire on the night of 12 July that reportedly claimed 30 lives.
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Speaking on 14 July, Suradet, a former deputy leader of the Palang Pracharath Party, offered condolences to the families of those killed. He said the tragedy showed that authorities had not seriously addressed recurring fire-safety failures at entertainment venues.
He compared the case with the 2009 Santika Club fire and the 2022 Mountain B Club fire, saying Thailand had already had two chances to learn from similar disasters but had failed to do so.
Safety failures under scrutiny
Suradet said mass casualties in such fires commonly arise because people cannot escape in time. He cited blocked or unusable emergency exits, inadequate building structures and safety systems, sealed buildings with poor ventilation, and the absence of fire sprinklers.
He said large indoor entertainment venues of 500 square metres or more, or buildings meeting certain height conditions, are required to install sprinkler systems. Some smaller venues may be licensed as restaurants or single-storey buildings, potentially leaving them outside older building-law sprinkler requirements.
However, he argued that sprinklers or equivalent automatic fire-suppression systems were essential because venues face risks from ceilings, combustible materials, alcohol and delayed evacuation.
The former MP also questioned why circuit breakers did not operate in the event of an electrical short circuit, and whether construction materials met safety standards.
For foreign residents and visitors, the case is a reminder that venue licensing does not necessarily indicate that an entertainment site meets every modern fire-safety expectation.
People going out in Bangkok or elsewhere in Thailand may wish to note visible exits and avoid overcrowded venues, particularly those with enclosed interiors.
Calls for owners and officials to be investigated
Suradet said operators must ensure their businesses meet safety standards, but claimed that some venues had been allowed to operate despite shortcomings. He called for scrutiny of officials involved in issuing licences and carrying out inspections, including whether improper benefits had been involved.
He said accountability should not end with limited compensation, adding that the value of every life could not be measured.
According to Suradet, owners or operators could potentially face charges including negligence causing death, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 200,000 baht; negligence causing serious injury, carrying up to three years in prison or a 60,000-baht fine, or both; and negligent fire causing danger to life or property, carrying up to seven years in prison or a 140,000-baht fine, or both.
He said the local district office director and relevant staff should be investigated under building-control laws, while local police could also face scrutiny under Section 157 of the Criminal Code if they were found to have neglected their duties.
Suradet said enforcement must apply nationwide, not only in Bangkok, and urged provincial governors, district chiefs and police commanders to inspect entertainment venues more rigorously.
Picture courtesy of Amarin
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15 July 2026
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