BANGKOK — The death toll from a fire at a live music bar in Bangkok has risen to 32, following the deaths of two additional victims, the Police Hospital confirmed on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. The blaze occurred close to midnight on Sunday, July 12, at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in the northern Chatuchak district.

The fire, described by witnesses as involving an explosion and a horizontal burst of flames and smoke, quickly engulfed the single-storey venue. Authorities believe the fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit in a ceiling air conditioner.

The Erawan Emergency Medical Centre reported that 30 people remain hospitalized in the city, with half of them in intensive care units.

Police are investigating potential negligence and whether emergency exits were blocked. The Thai government has pledged to strengthen regulations on entertainment venues, including conducting random inspections to ensure fire exits are accessible and venues comply with safety standards.

The bar is situated at a busy intersection near train stations and shopping malls and is part of a cluster of similar establishments popular on weekend nights, offering food, drinks, live music, and televised sports.

Experts suggest that combustible materials used to decorate the stage for acoustic purposes ignited rapidly, producing intense heat, smoke, and toxic fumes that trapped and suffocated patrons.

Concerns over flammable decorations, overcrowding, and blocked emergency exits in Thai entertainment venues have been raised before, notably after a 2009 nightclub fire in Bangkok that killed at least 65 people.

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