A devastating fire at a popular Bangkok bar on Sunday has claimed the lives of at least 28 people and left dozens more injured. The blaze, which tore through the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao venue in the city's vibrant Chatuchak district, occurred while the Thai indie band Thotsakan was performing to a packed crowd. Among the fatalities are three members of the band: keyboardist Kwang, singer Breeze, and drummer Bew, who succumbed to their injuries.
Witnesses have described the terrifying speed at which the inferno engulfed the establishment. Ice Athipat Wijarn, the band's manager, was seated off stage when he saw smoke emerging from behind the keyboardist. He recounted fumbling with a door in the smoke-filled room, crawling towards an exit before an explosion reportedly threw him out of the bar. "The sight of my girlfriend's body being carried out, the sight of my friend who was burned in the fire and everything that happened are still etched in my mind," he stated.
Another witness, Usa Tadsree, 41, whose two friends died in the blaze, described a rapid "boom" and a complete lack of escape routes. Online footage captured panicked customers screaming as they fled, some with their clothes alight, through the flaming front door. Firefighters managed to bring the flames under control within approximately half an hour, but the scale of the tragedy left local residents stunned, with one describing ambulances and rescue vehicles "everywhere."
Concerns have been raised regarding the bar's interior design and safety measures. Sirinya, a local resident who had previously visited the bar, recalled it being "very dark, with a low ceiling" and noted that "the fire escape routes are not clear." Another visitor, Phatsara Khamloet, who visited in May, described the pub as having a "maze-like" interior and poorly marked exits, stating, "The moment I stepped in, my first feeling was, 'Whoa, if there's a fire, how would we even get out?'" The Bangkok governor, Chatchart Sittipunt, suggested earlier this week that flammable ceiling decorations may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.