Officials said two emergency exits were obstructed as smoke rapidly filled the popular live-music venue in northern Bangkok.
BANGKOK, THAILAND — A fire tore through a crowded pub in northern Bangkok around midnight Monday, killing at least 27 people and injuring 63 others before firefighters brought the blaze under control, Thai officials said.
The fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub was among Thailand’s deadliest entertainment-venue disasters in recent years. Twenty-two of the injured were in critical condition, according to officials. Investigators were examining whether an electrical short circuit started the fire and whether obstacles near emergency exits prevented customers from escaping.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the scene early Monday and confirmed that rescuers had recovered 27 bodies. He said the cause had not been determined and that authorities would conduct a full investigation. Emergency workers continued searching the burned building and collecting information needed to identify the victims.
Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said the pub had two fire exits, but beer crates blocked the route near the kitchen and a table obstructed the other exit. He said forensic investigators would need to examine the scene before authorities reached final conclusions about the cause of the fire or the venue’s safety arrangements.
An initial assessment by Bangkok’s disaster prevention agency pointed to a possible electrical short circuit in a ceiling-mounted air conditioner. That finding remained preliminary. Anutin said a musician who had been performing at the pub reported seeing smoke near a circuit breaker by the stage before the power failed and an explosion was heard.
Officials said the fire appeared to begin near the stage at the front of the venue and spread quickly. Thick smoke then filled the building, forcing many customers toward the kitchen and restrooms at the rear. Several victims were found near or inside the restrooms, where they may have become trapped in the darkness and smoke.
Video from outside the pub showed heavy smoke pouring through the entrance before flames surged from a doorway as customers ran into the street. Firefighters wearing breathing equipment searched the darkened interior with flashlights. Crews brought the fire under control in about 30 minutes, but the main room, furniture and fixtures were heavily damaged.
Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said all 63 injured people had been taken to hospitals. Authorities opened a registration center for relatives seeking information about missing family members. Identification was difficult because some victims had no identification documents and several survivors were unconscious.
Singer Sukanya Wongwongwai, who had been performing nearby, went to the scene after learning that members of her band were working at the pub. She said one band member had died, three were hospitalized and another had not been located. She said people who escaped described a sudden power failure and smoke that made it difficult to see or find others.
The pub was in Bangkok’s Chatuchak area, near shopping centers, parks, cinemas and the city’s weekend market. The district is connected to Bangkok’s rail network and draws both local residents and international visitors. Officials had not released the nationalities of those killed or said how many people were inside when the fire began.
Thailand has experienced other deadly fires at nightlife venues. A 2022 fire at a music pub in eastern Thailand killed 14 people. In 2009, a New Year’s celebration fire at Bangkok’s Santika nightclub killed 66 people and injured more than 200.
Police and forensic teams were examining electrical equipment, fire damage, exit routes and evidence collected inside the pub. Officials said the death and injury totals could change as hospitals treated critically injured patients and authorities completed the identification process.
Author note: Last updated July 13, 2026.