A catastrophic fire tore through a popular bar and restaurant in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district early Monday morning, leaving at least 27 people dead and dozens more injured.
The blaze at Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao has once again cast a harsh spotlight on Thailand’s historically lax enforcement of fire and electrical safety standards.
Firefighters were alerted to the scene just after midnight on Monday. Reports indicate the fire was first spotted around 23:30 local time by a passing driver, who jumped out of his vehicle and smashed windows to rescue two trapped patrons.
Eyewitnesses recounted a scene of sheer panic. Motorcyclist Surin Jaiharn told AFP that he managed to pull five people from the building, using clothing to smother the flames engulfing their bodies.
“I feel depressed,” Jaiharn said. “I saw many deaths, and I do not know the fate of the people I helped.”
Footage circulating on social media platform X showed massive flames blasting through the venue’s front entrance as panicked patrons fled, with some screaming and falling over one another in the chaos.
While firefighters managed to bring the inferno under control within 30 minutes, the toll was devastating. Officials confirmed that nine men and 18 women lost their lives, while more than 60 others were hospitalized, eight of whom remain in critical condition.
Suriyachai Raviwan, director of Bangkok’s disaster department, stated that initial findings indicate the majority of the victims died from smoke inhalation.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters that a musician performing at the time of the incident traced the fire back to a catastrophic electrical failure.
“He said that there was a fire at the cut-out switch, and after that things happened very quickly,” Prime Minister Anutin said. “There was blasting, and everybody tried to flee from the smoke and flames.”
The Prime Minister added that many victims made a fatal mistake in the confusion. “Many of them were not able to make their way out because they went to the back of the building and tried to hide themselves from the smoke and flames in the toilet. That’s where we found most of the bodies.”
