Bangkok music bar fire death toll rises to 30, probe widens

The death toll from the fire at Rong Beer Na Ladprao climbed to 30, and police widened their investigation into whether blocked exits, weak oversight and other safety failures trapped people inside the Bangkok music bar. More than 70 people were injured, 24 of them in critical condition, after flames tore through the venue in the city’s Chatuchak district.

The blaze broke out shortly before midnight on Sunday, July 12, 2026, at the live-music beer hall and bar-restaurant on Ladprao Road near the Ha Yaek Ladprao intersection. Firefighters took about half an hour to bring it under control. Rong Beer Na Ladprao said it could hold as many as 600 customers, but it remained unclear how many were inside when the fire started.

Most of those killed died from smoke inhalation. Investigators also found bodies in windowless bathrooms, where some victims tried to escape the flames. Investigators are examining possible negligence and safety breaches, including emergency exits that were obstructed or difficult to reach. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt will impose stricter inspections on entertainment venues as the probe expands.

The fire was Bangkok’s deadliest in 17 years. On January 1, 2009, the Santika nightclub fire killed 67 people and injured more than 200. In 2022, a music-bar fire in eastern Thailand killed 14 people.

The venue issued a public apology and set up a coordination point for relatives. Dozens of injured people remained under treatment, while the dead continued to be counted as rescue crews and investigators worked through the aftermath.