World

Bangkok pub fire deaths rise to 35, with 12 critical

By ⁠Panarat Thepgumpanat

Jul 22, 2026

A relative leads a coffin containing a victim's body after a pub fire — Dozens of people died in the fire that broke out at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub on July 13. -AP

The death toll from a July 13 fire at a pub ‌in the Thai capital Bangkok has risen to 35, ‌the city's emergency services say.

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Twenty-one people were ‌still in hospital, with 12 still in critical condition, the Erawan Emergency Medical Centre said on Wednesday.

Another 48 people injured in the blaze have been discharged.

An ‌explosive ⁠fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub broke out shortly before midnight on July 13 and filled the popular venue with thick smoke within minutes, Reuters has reported.

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

Police authorities ‌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.

The government vowed tighter regulations, including random inspections.

In the past three days, more than 800 venues had been inspected, with 56 ordered to suspend operations due to safety issues, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said in a statement.