Bangkok pub fire kills 30 after blocked exits and flammable foam trap hundreds inside

The fire and its ignition

At 11:57 p.m. on Sunday, 12 July, an electrical short circuit in a ceiling air conditioner unit at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in northern Bangkok sparked a blaze that would become the city's deadliest fire in 17 years, according to authorities. Video posted on social media and verified by Reuters shows thick smoke at the front entrance, followed within seconds by an intense horizontal plume of fire gushing out of the doorway. Firefighters arrived within minutes but needed approximately half an hour to bring the flames under control.

I wanted to go back in to get my friends but there was intense heat coming out, so I had to run out.

The bar, which calls itself a brewery or beer hall, claimed capacity for up to 600 customers and was hosting a live music performance when the fire broke out. Musicians were among those caught in the inferno; the band's keyboard player, known as Kwang, and 27-year-old singer Din were both confirmed dead, their families and friends told Reuters.

What made the fire so deadly

Fire protection specialists who inspected the site pointed to a massive fuel load from highly combustible acoustic material, artificial trees, flowers, and a green canopy of decorations installed across the ceiling, particularly around the stage and bar areas. Nuttapol Lerkkasemsan, a flammability researcher at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, said footage shows a classic flashover: flammable gas released by heated foam panels got trapped in the ceiling, igniting a blaze that spread across the venue within seconds and sent temperatures to several hundred degrees Celsius.

People inside had no chance to escape anymore. The temperature rises to several hundred degrees Celsius.

Richard Meier, a Florida-based fire investigator, noted that similar deadly episodes have occurred in Rhode Island, Brazil, Switzerland, and elsewhere in Thailand, with lessons from those fires going unlearned.

Exit routes blocked

At least one emergency exit in the rear of the venue was obstructed by beer crates and employees' lockers, while a candy stall blocked another escape path, according to Thai interior ministry findings cited by the Bangkok Post. A second exit bore a sign reading "Do not open (staff only)", further confusing fleeing patrons, and was narrowed by shelving units. Police are also investigating reports that staff may have locked exits to prevent customers from leaving without paying, though this has not been confirmed. Most of those killed were found trapped in windowless bathrooms at the back of the building, where they had fled seeking safety.

The severity of this fire was driven by a massive fuel load.

Victims and families

By Tuesday morning, 14 July, the death toll had risen to 30, with 75 people injured and 24 in critical condition, according to Bangkok's Chatuchak district office. Relatives gathered at Police General Hospital and the Institute of Forensic Medicine to claim bodies and provide DNA samples. Nuttakarn Sevoy, 30, arrived for her childhood friend Top Sarobol and told AFP the family felt fortunate his body was not burned beyond recognition, while his grandmother said he should have been the one cremating her, not the other way around. Jarunee Phosawad, 46, travelled from Roi Et province to oversee the cremation of her cousin Kochaporn Sotharat, a single mother whose daughter now faces life alone. Booyaporn Sermsiri was still searching for her 25-year-old daughter Jarawee "Cartoon" Sermsiri, saying she was holding onto hope.

Investigation and regulatory failures

The Royal Thai Police, under General Kittirath Phanphet, are investigating possible criminal negligence, including obstructed emergency exits, overloaded wiring, use of flammable materials, and whether the venue held only a restaurant licence rather than an entertainment permit. The 53-year-old building had undergone multiple renovations, and authorities are examining whether unauthorised alterations and lapses in licensing and inspections contributed to the disaster. The pub had passed a safety inspection in April 2026.