Bangkok pub fire death toll rises to 35 as safety scrutiny intensifies

Bangkok pub fire death toll rises to 35 as safety scrutiny intensifies
Emergency services members move a coffin with the body of a victim at the Police Hospital morgue, following a deadly fire at a pub in Bangkok, Thailand, 13 July, 2026.
Reuters

The death toll from a 13 July fire at a pub in the Thai capital, Bangkok, has risen to 35, city emergency services said on Wednesday. Twenty-one people remain in hospital, with 12 in critical condition, as investigators continue to examine the cause of the blaze.

Investigation continues

The Erawan Emergency Medical Centre said 21 people were still in hospital, with 12 remaining in critical condition.

Another 48 people injured in the blaze have since been discharged, the centre added.

The fire broke out shortly before midnight on 13 July at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub, rapidly filling the popular venue with thick smoke within minutes, Reuters reported.

Thai police are investigating possible negligence after emergency exits were found to have been obstructed, preventing people from escaping.

Police did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the progress of the investigation.

On Monday, Thai police said no charges had been filed because the venue's owner was still in hospital.

Emergency services members move a coffin with the body of a victim at the Police Hospital morgue, following a deadly fire at a pub in Bangkok, Thailand, 13 July, 2026.
Reuters
Safety inspections stepped up

The government has vowed to tighten safety regulations, including carrying out random inspections.

More than 800 venues have been inspected over the past three days, with 56 ordered to suspend operations because of safety concerns, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said in a statement.

The disaster has renewed scrutiny of fire safety standards in Thailand's entertainment industry.

Experts have long warned about the dangers posed by flammable decorative materials, overcrowded venues and blocked emergency exits. Similar concerns were raised after a Bangkok nightclub fire in 2009 that killed at least 65 people.

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