An explosive fire at Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, a popular bar-restaurant in Thailand’s capital Bangkok, has killed 28 people.

At least 63 others were injured, 22 of them critically, said Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Department of Disaster ​Prevention and Mitigation.

The fire broke out at 11.57pm on July 12 (12.57am Singapore time).

No Singaporeans were affected in the incident.

The bar is located in the Chatuchak district, about 2km away from Chatuchak Weekend Market, which is popular among tourists.

Locator map of Bangkok showing a fire that broke out at Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, near Phahon Yothin MRT station, about 2km from Chatuchak Weekend Market. The map highlights the fire site with a pin along Lat Phrao Road and Phahon Yothin Road, near Chatuchak Park, with a small inset map showing Bangkok's location.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the bar is licensed and operated in a single-storey concrete building, and musical performances are allowed inside, the Bangkok Post reported. It passed inspection in April.

According to Chadchart, the venue usually attracts 600 to 700 people each night, but waiters said there were about 300 customers inside when the fire broke out.

Patrons tried escaping from the pub when it rapidly filled with smoke, but obstructed emergency exits reportedly hindered evacuation.

Based on survivor accounts, officials said the fire is understood to have ​started at the front stage section of the pub and spread rapidly, forcing many to run to the back of the venue, which houses the kitchen and the bathrooms.

Floor plan of the bar

SOURCE: FACEBOOK POST

Firefighter Chakrit Khongkom, 45, who arrived in the first fire truck, said he saw several patrons trying to escape from the back of the venue. The few ‌people coming ⁠through the front of the venue suffered burns.

“There are two fire exits; one is near the kitchen. There were beer crates in the way,” Chadchart told reporters, adding that there was a table blocking the other fire exit, ​hindering evacuation.

“We need to wait for forensic investigators to examine the scene more closely,” he said.

Police are investigating possible negligence, particularly linked to renovations and whether adequate emergency exits were in place.

The authorities are also examining whether there were illegal structural modifications, including an extension near the stage, according to media reports.

Survivors could evacuate only from the front, closer to the stage where the fire reportedly started. Most victims tried evacuating from the back, away from the fire, where they were obstructed by chairs, tables and crates.

Firefighters reportedly brought the flames under control after about half an hour.

The tragedy has raised concerns over Thailand’s lax approach to safety regulations.

This is not the first time that such an incident has taken place in the country. On Dec 29, 2024, three people – from the United States, Brazil and Ukraine – were killed in a fire at a hotel near Bangkok’s popular Khao San backpacker district.

Thai media outlet The Nation reported that Chadchart is preparing to review and strengthen regulations governing the use of flame-retardant decorative materials in buildings.

The Nation reported that interior decorative materials acted as fuel during the bar fire and generated a large volume of smoke.

The authorities will consider requiring a broader range of establishments, including restaurants offering live music, to use materials that resist flame spread and do not generate smoke.

An ambulance is parked outside a bar after a massive fire broke out in Bangkok, early on July 13, 2026.
An ambulance and other emergency vehicles parked outside the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in Bangkok on July 13, 2026. PHOTO: AFP
Emergency workers prepare to place the body of a victim into an ambulance after a fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in Bangkok on July 13, 2026.
Emergency workers preparing to place the body of a victim into an ambulance after a fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in Bangkok on July 13, 2026. PHOTO: AFP
Emergency workers stand next to a white fabric displayed at the scene after a massive fire engulfed a bar in Bangkok, early on July 13, 2026.
White cloth being used to cordon off the scene of the fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in Bangkok on July 13, 2026. PHOTO: AFP
A burnt sign at the site of a deadly fire at a pub in Bangkok, Thailand, July 13, 2026.
A burnt sign at the site of the bar fire in Bangkok on July 13, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS
People outside the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar after a fire in Bangkok on July 13, 2026.
Onlookers outside the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar on July 13, 2026, after the fire. PHOTO: AFP
A firefighter wears a helmet with a torch, at the site of a deadly fire at a pub in Bangkok, Thailand, July 13, 2026.
Safety officials examining the burnt interior of the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in Bangkok on July 13, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS

A contact centre will be established for the victims and their relatives, said Chadchart.

He instructed the Chatuchak District Office to set up the coordination centre, adding that it is currently not possible to confirm the names of the deceased as doctors and the relevant agencies have to do the identification, reported Thai media outlet Daily News.

He requested that relatives of the victims use the coordination centre’s channels to obtain official information.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has announced a consolation payment of 29,700 baht (S$1,150) per fatality, reported Thai media outlet Thairath.

It will also be compensating those injured, with 4,000 baht per person in cases of injury requiring hospitalisation, 2,300 baht for each injured person and 2,000 baht per person in cases where no injuries were sustained from the fire.