Thai police announced on Monday, August 10, 2026, their intention to charge Suvicha Salaibatr, owner of the popular Rong Beer Na Lad Phrao restaurant and bar in Bangkok, with six offences related to a fire last month that killed 37 people. The charges include negligence causing death, serious injury, harm and fire, criminal mischief, and operating an entertainment venue without a licence.
The blaze occurred on the evening of July 12, 2026, and led to dozens of hospitalisations, including Salaibatr himself. Police identified an electrical short circuit in the ceiling as the cause of the fire, with most victims dying from smoke inhalation.
Chief investigator Isara Na Phatthalung told AFP that an arrest warrant was issued last week for Salaibatr. Although he has left the intensive care unit, doctors have not yet permitted police to formally read the charges to him. Authorities hope to charge him as the sole suspect in the coming days. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison for the negligence charge alone.
The incident has reignited concerns about Thailand's health and safety regulations, especially in bars and nightclubs. A similar tragedy occurred in 2009 when a fire at Bangkok's Santika club during New Year celebrations killed 67 people and injured more than 200.
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