A fire tore through the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in Bangkok late Sunday, killing 27 people and injuring 73 others in Thailand's deadliest nightlife blaze since 2009. Blocked emergency exits and rapidly spreading ceiling flames trapped victims as authorities launched a review of entertainment venue safety laws.
A fire at a popular Bangkok bar and live music venue killed 27 people and injured 73 others late Sunday, with blocked emergency exits and ceiling materials that spread flames rapidly trapping victims inside, Thai authorities said.
"Twenty-seven bodies were moved out, lifeless bodies," Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in televised remarks from the scene of the blaze at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in northern Bangkok. "Some were sent to hospitals, we are checking their conditions."
The fire originated near the stage around midnight local time, with a musician reporting smoke from a circuit breaker before the power cut and an explosion followed by thick smoke, Anutin said. Most of the 27 victims died from smoke inhalation, with many found in the restrooms at the back of the venue after panicking in the darkness, according to National Police Chief Kitrat Panphet. Of the 73 injured, at least 25 remain in intensive care, the Erawan Emergency Centre reported.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said around 300 people were inside the venue, which can accommodate as many as 600. An inspection in April found the bar equipped with two fire exits, exit signs, emergency lights and fire extinguishers, but conditions on the night of the fire differed sharply. One exit was obstructed by a shelf, allowing only single-file passage, while the other had beer crates and candy-selling tables stacked nearby, Chadchart said. The fire spread rapidly along the ceiling toward the front entrance, preventing escape through the main door. Authorities plan to investigate the decorative ceiling materials, which may have accelerated the blaze — a dynamic similar to the January 2026 fire at a basement bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where acoustic foam ceiling covering contributed to 40 deaths.
Regulatory Review and Historical Context
The blaze is Thailand's deadliest nightlife fire since the Santika club fire during New Year celebrations in 2009, which killed 67 people and injured more than 200. A 2022 fire at a music pub in eastern Thailand killed 14, and a 1997 gas-leak explosion at a beachfront hotel killed approximately 90. A 2024 hotel fire in Bangkok killed three foreigners.
Thai authorities said they would discuss a review of entertainment venue laws, revise inspection guidelines and elevate safety standards. While large entertainment venues in Bangkok must use fire-retardant and smoke-minimizing materials, restaurants with live music are not subject to the same requirements. National police chief Kitrat said investigators were seeking to speak with the bar's owner, who remains in intensive care, and are examining the electrical wiring in the 50-year-old building.
Athipat Wijarn, a member of the pop-rock band Totsakan that was performing when the fire broke out, said two of his 10 bandmates — singer Breeze and keyboardist Kwang — were killed, while the drummer remains in critical condition and one member is still missing. "Everybody was running, squeezing into each other," Athipat told Thai talk show Hone-Krasae. "There was an explosion, and I got hit at the back of my head. I felt the heat and the burn."
Of the 13 victims whose identities have been confirmed, one is a Laotian national, authorities said. The incident is likely to renew scrutiny of safety standards across Thailand's nightlife sector, which forms a significant part of the country's tourism industry — a sector that contributed approximately 12% to Thailand's gross domestic product before the pandemic.
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