The death toll from the Bangkok fire has risen to 30, with many still hospitalized – National
The death toll from a massive fire at a bar in Bangkok has risen to 30, officials said Tuesday, as investigations continued as relatives of the victims struggled to identify loved ones and exhume their bodies.
More than 70 people were injured in Sunday night's tragedy, and 24 of them are in critical condition, according to a statement from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
Initial information on the victims, which had not been updated as of Monday, said 18 of the dead were women and nine were men, all from Thailand except for a bar worker in Laos. The injured included 41 women and 34 men.
The fire that broke out at the Rong Beer Na Ladprao pub, which was the city's deadliest in 17 years, broke out shortly before midnight in the northern part of the Thai capital. Firefighters needed half an hour to bring it under control.
The bar, which in Thai calls itself a brewery or beer hall, says it can accommodate up to 600 customers. It was not clear how many were in attendance Sunday night.
An investigation into the cause of the fire and whether the bar was complying with safety regulations is ongoing. Most of the dead were found trapped in windowless bathrooms where they may have been trying to escape the flames, police said.
Bangkok's governor orders security checks and better enforcement
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said on Tuesday that he had ordered city officials to carry out a thorough study of the facilities to assess the risks. The city will also strengthen enforcement of existing laws to improve safety, he said.
Get daily world news
Get daily Canadian news delivered to your inbox so you never miss the top stories of the day.
Supporters of the pub and other mourners visited the site on Tuesday, adding to the pile of flowers that lined the streets surrounding the fire.
Handwritten messages in Thai and other languages, including Korean, were left next to the white flowers, offering condolences to the dead.
Debris from the bar, including melted musical instruments and black chairs, strewn on the side of the road, was moved there on Monday by officials investigating the cause of the fire.
University student Thanakon Phoklang said he was passing by and wanted to show respect.
He said: “It was sad. “It's impossible to hear anything else.”
The public clamor for answers and action regarding the tragedy included relatives of the dead who went to Bangkok's Institute of Forensic Medicine to collect their bodies on Tuesday.
Families cry as they remove the bodies
Gathered at the car loading area, family members burst into tears as they walked with the coffins that were loaded into the ambulance.
Namthip Tubsuk, a mother of two and teacher nicknamed “Ice,” died in the fire, according to her aunt Jittiya Phaiklaw, who focused on reports that the exit doors were locked.
“They shouldn't have locked the doors,” said Jittiya. “If they were afraid that customers would run away, they would have security guards watching over them.
Jutatip Surakumhang, Namthip's friend, said he must apologize.
“I feel that someone should apologize to all those who died. There was a death that should be apologized for. It was painful,” said Jutatip.
The bar issued an apology and condolences Monday on Facebook and vowed to cooperate with the investigation into the fire.
Relatives and friends of another deceased victim, a 35-year-old native of Bangkok, Top Sarobol, also came to the intelligence center to accompany his body. They cried as his coffin was taken out and loaded into a van to be brought back home.
“In his family, it is difficult to accept. His grandmother is old. She always said to let her grandson cremate her,” said his friend Nuttakarn Sevoy. “But the reality is the opposite of what we wanted.”
Speculations about the causes of the disaster have been rife but mostly unconfirmed, while experts have reached general conclusions about fire safety in Thailand.
An engineering specialist suggests that the problems should be investigated
On Monday, the president of the Thailand Structural Engineers Association, Amorn Pimanmas, told reporters outside the bar that, although he had not yet inspected the site, he saw dangerous things that could worsen fire hazards.
He said the building is fenced, has low ceilings and may have used foam as decorative materials, without adequate flame retardant treatment. He said that when combined with poor ventilation, the smoke would accumulate quickly, creating toxic air that could be the main cause of death for many victims.
He also mentioned that the officials said that this bar has a license to be a restaurant with a live music venue rather than a place of entertainment because it is outside the area reserved for such businesses. Amorn said that would exempt it from stricter fire safety regulations for entertainment venues.
“There has to be some kind of change in terms of fire safety practices, and I think law enforcement is also very important,” he said. “It's not that we don't have the law, but the problem is how the law can be strengthened from now on. I think the government should answer this question.”
© 2026 The Canadian Press
