In brief
On Sunday a fire erupted inside Bangkok’s Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, killing at least 28 people and injuring dozens more. The blaze reportedly started behind the music keyboard, spreading rapidly across the dimly lit interior. Witnesses say the fire spread so fast that escape routes were nearly impossible to follow, and survivors spoke of sudden explosions and being pushed out of the building. The governor said flammable décor on the ceiling likely fed the flames, and members of the local community urged tighter fire‑safety standards and regular drills for nightlife venues. Authorities are investigating the cause of the tragedy and warning that similar incidents could recur if measures are not taken.
On Sunday night a devastating fire broke out in a crowded bar in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, the scene of a chaotic, hurried effort to escape that left at least 28 people dead and dozens injured. The flames first shot up behind the steel‑walled keyboard of the indie band Thotsakan, and within seconds the front of the door was engulfed in thick smoke and fire.
Band manager Ice Athipat Wijarn testified that he tried to wrestle with the door as smoke filled the room. He said the crowd was “squeezing into each other and running” and that an explosion finally threw him out of the studio. A balcony view of the incident shows people flinging themselves through a smouldering doorway, their clothes ablaze, as emergency services dumped water on the inferno.
The jurisdiction’s governor named flammable decorations on the ceiling as a likely factor in the rapid spread, while a driver who works nearby urged owners of venues to conduct regular fire drills and widen exits. In the days following the blast, residents outside the bar reported hearing ambulance sirens and watching firefighters battle the blaze until sub‑hydro‑pumps contained the flames mid‑afternoon.
Survivors who escaped through the bathroom, including lead singer Tik Chaichana, describe the experience as a nightmare. He posted on Facebook that he was safe, but his phone and belongings had succumbed to the fire, and his mind was “truly not okay right now.” Another band member, Patchara Songphatkaew, confirmed that Kwang the keyboardist, Breeze the vocalist, and Bew the drummer died from the fire. Five members were accounted for; the fifth, Din, was missing but later found on Monday evening, though his condition remains uncertain.
The horror of the scene transcended the local nightlife; it highlighted the lack of clear emergency egress plans in many Thai bars. Residents such as Titi Liewcha and Sirinya, who live on the street, described the experience of seeing a “maze‑like” interior and panicked through a smoke‑filled space. “The fire spread across the whole bar,” reported Titi, “and we were all stunned to see the emergency vehicles converging.”
Moving forward, the situation has reignited the call for stricter fire‑safety standards, proper training for staff in nightlife settings, and mandatory regular fire‑escape drills. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has pledged to investigate the incident thoroughly and to “strengthen” safety measures that may save lives in the future.
