- A musician, Kawin Wongmanich of the Totsakan Band, recounted his harrowing escape from a fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub in Bangkok, which tragically claimed the lives of two of his bandmates and left others injured or missing.
- The blaze, which erupted on Sunday night, resulted in at least 27 fatalities and 63 injuries, with many victims found near toilets at the back of the venue, suggesting they were overcome by thick smoke while attempting to flee.
- Wongmanich described the rapid escalation of the fire, which he believes started with smoke near a circuit breaker above the keyboardist, followed by explosions, power loss, and dense smoke that made escape difficult and separated him from his girlfriend, who later died.
- Initial investigations suggest the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in an air-conditioning unit, while Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt indicated that blocked emergency exits, including one obstructed by beer crates and another by a table, likely contributed to the high death toll.
- This incident has reignited concerns over safety standards in Bangkok's entertainment venues, recalling previous deadly nightclub fires in Thailand, such as the 2009 Santika nightclub fire and a 2022 incident in Chonburi province, both linked to inadequate safety measures.
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