Bangkok pub fire: 27 dead; ‘patrons were trapped as beer cans, table blocked exits’

10 bodies identified

Footage shared online by first responders shows a huge blaze raging, with plumes rising from the front door of the Na Ladprao beer hall in the northern part of the Thai capital. People are seen trying to flee as thick black smoke billows into the sky. Independent quoting officials said several patrons were reportedly trapped inside the bar due to blocked emergency exits.

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So far, 10 of the 27 victims have been identified, while efforts are underway to identify the 17 other victims, as many did not carry IDs or were unconscious.

Of the 63 injured, the condition of 22 is described as grievous.

Short circuit likely cause

The blaze, according to initial investigation, was caused by an electrical short circuit in an air-conditioning unit installed in the ceiling.

While authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said investigators would examine the ceiling materials and whether any emergency exits may have been obstructed, potentially making it more difficult for people to evacuate.

The Bangkok city government said the fire broke out shortly before midnight on Sunday (July 12).

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By Monday morning, the site had been cordoned off as dozens of Thai forensic officers combed through the burned remains for clues about what caused the fire.

Fire exits blocked

The fire reportedly started near the stage and spread to the other parts of the pub, forcing people to flee to the back of the building.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told the media that a musician who was performing at the bar told him that he saw smoke coming out of a circuit breaker near the stage before the power went out, then an explosion was heard and thick smoke quickly filled the place.

Exiting the building was not easy for many as one exit door near the kitchen was stacked with beer cans while the other was blocked by a table.

Several guests took refuge in restrooms at the back of the pub.

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The building's street-facing windows had been blown out, and debris littered the sidewalk, including charred television sets, speakers and an electric guitar.

From outside, the scale of the devastation was visible through the shattered windows, where burned-out tables, some still holding empty beer bottles, remained inside.

PM orders probe

Prime Minister Charnvirakul, who visited the scene on Monday, has ordered a full investigation into the incident, which he dubbed a “national tragedy”.

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Some Buddhist monks visited the site Monday morning to pray for the victims, while nurses handed out face masks to people nearby to help protect them from smoke and lingering fumes from the burned-out building.

Charred scene, worried relatives

Firefighters took about half an hour to bring the fire under control. Photos of the aftermath show charred tables and chairs, and the damaged interior of the bar.

A registration spot was set up to gather information from relatives coming to the scene looking for their loved ones.

Singer Sukanya Wongwongwai said she was performing nearby when she heard news of the fire and rushed to the scene because several of her bandmates were performing at the bar.

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She said one of them died, three were hospitalised, and one hasn't been located.

“From what I heard from people who were inside, when the fire started everything went dark. The power was out and there was smoke everywhere, so they couldn't locate other people,” she said.

Earlier tragedies

In 2022, 14 people were killed by a fire at a music bar in the eastern part of the country.

And more than a decade before that, 66 people were killed and more than 200 injured in a fire during a Jan 1, 2009 New Year's Eve celebration at the Santika nightclub in Thailand's capital. That blaze was apparently sparked by an indoor fireworks display.