A fire at a pub in Bangkok on Sunday killed 27 people and injured 63. At least 22 of those being treated in hospital are in critical condition, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said.
"We have recovered 27 bodies. Others are being sent to hospital," Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said after visiting the site of the fire, which broke out at 11.57pm on Sunday.
Witnesses said the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in Bangkok's Chatuchak district filled with smoke quickly after the fire broke out in front of the venue's stage, forcing many to run to the back near the bathrooms. But there were no fire escapes.
"By the time the rescue workers arrived at the scene of the accident, the fire had already burnt through the area," said Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said on its Facebook page.
The blaze has renewed scrutiny of fire safety and regulatory oversight at Bangkok’s pubs and entertainment venues, an issue that has repeatedly surfaced following deadly accidents. In 2009, more than 60 people were killed when a fire engulfed the Santika Club during a New Year’s celebration.
“Authorities will need to examine wide range of issues, including the building itself,” Mr Charnvirakul told reporters on Monday. “Safety inspections should be carried out every year for those similar pub and restaurants because, even when they renew their operating licence, there should be an inspection.”
With reporting from Agencies
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Emergency workers prepare to place the bodies of victims into ambulances after a fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in Bangkok on July 13, 2026. A massive fire in a Bangkok bar late on July 12 killed at least 27 people and injured dozens, sending screaming patrons fleeing as flames shot from the entrance, according to officials and video verified by AFP. (Photo by chanakarn LAOSARAKHAM / AFP) -
Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul speaks to a survivor as he visits the site of a deadly fire. Reuters -
A Buddhist monk prays at the scene. Heavy smoke forced many to flee the venue near the bathrooms at the back, as there were no fire escapes. Reuters -
A woman shows a photo of her son, who is missing, while talking to the media at the police hospital morgue in the Thai capital. Reuters -
Forensics officers inspect the site in the aftermath of the blaze, the deadliest such incident in Thailand for almost two decades. AFP -
Emergency services at the scene in Bangkok. Reuters -
Screaming customers were seen fleeing as flames shot from the entrance of the pub. AFP -
Thai rescue workers search for victims. EPA -
Police and ambulance staff arrive en masse. AFP -
Police set up a cordon around the burnt-out pub. Reuters -
A woman overcome with grief after her sister died in the fire. Reuters
