BANGKOK – At least 27 people have died and 73 were injured after a massive fire engulfed a Bangkok bar on Sunday evening, marking Thailand’s deadliest such incident in nearly two decades.

Investigators were combing through the wreckage of the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar and restaurant on Monday, working to establish what caused the blaze and why it claimed so many lives.

The fire broke out around 11pm on Sunday at the venue on the outskirts of the Thai capital. Panicked patrons ran screaming from the building as flames shot from the entrance, several with their clothing burned or ablaze.

Body bags lay on the ground outside whilst odd shoes scattered near the back door told the story of a desperate rush to escape.

Athipat Wijarn, whose band was performing when the fire started, recalled the chaos. The lights went out and smoke began pouring from an electrical circuit on the wall behind the stage.

“Everybody was running, squeezing into each other,” Athipat told Thai talk show Hone-Krasae on Monday.

As he crawled towards the exit, “there was an explosion, and I got hit at the back of my head. I felt the heat and the burn.”

Two of his bandmates, keyboardist Kwang and singer Breeze, died in the blaze. Athipat said Breeze, his girlfriend, “did not suffer any burn wounds. It looked like she was just sleeping.”

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the fire spread rapidly, reaching the ceiling. “Smoke was likely the main cause of death,” he told reporters at the scene.

Of the 73 injured, 41 remain in hospital, including 25 in intensive care, according to the Erawan Emergency Centre.

The incident marks Thailand’s worst fire disaster since a blaze tore through Bangkok’s Santika club during New Year celebrations in 2009, killing 67 people and injuring more than 200.

Safety concerns emerge

National police chief Kitrat Panphet said investigators hope to speak to the bar owner, who is currently in intensive care.

“Most of the people who died were found in the toilets. When the fire broke out, they panicked. There were no lights,” he told reporters.

Police are examining whether exit doors were accessible. Kitrat noted that one door was obstructed by a shelf, allowing only one person at a time to pass through.

Investigators are also looking at the electrical wiring in the 50-year-old building and whether decorations may have fuelled the fire.

“We presume it is carelessness,” Kitrat said.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited the scene, said initial inquiries suggested there were “blind spots” without a visible fire escape route.

“There will be no leniency if any laws have been broken,” he said.

Victims and survivors

Ten victims have been identified so far, nine Thai nationals and one from Laos.

Laotian tourist Kan Kutirat, who was in the bar at the time, said he “heard loud screaming from a lot of people inside – chaos happened.”

“I never experienced anything like this before. The images are still stuck in my mind,” he told AFP.

Motorbike taxi driver Surin Jaiharn (45) said he saw the fire burst into the street from the bar door. He helped about five people fleeing with burnt and blistering skin.

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“I feel depressed. I saw many deaths and I do not know the fate of the people I helped,” Surin said.

Senior justice ministry official Triyarith Temahivong pledged 300 000 baht (R164 000) for the family of each deceased victim and up to 80 000 baht for actual medical costs for each injured person.

Thailand’s approach to health and safety regulations, particularly in bars and nightclubs, has long raised concerns. In 2022, 25 people died after a fire ripped through the Mountain B nightclub in the country’s eastern Chonburi province.

Forensic police continued working Monday in the gutted venue, its windows blown out, as the investigation continues.

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