Initially, thick smoke billowed only from the front entrance of the Na Ladprao pub in northern Bangkok. It was around midnight on 12/7, extending into the early morning of 13/7.

Within seconds, a large flame erupted across the door facing the street, according to videos recorded by witnesses. Screams and cries echoed throughout the area.

Usa Tadsree, 41, standing outside for a smoke, first noticed the lights inside the pub flickering before realizing smoke was rising. "I wanted to run in to pull my friends out, but the heat was too intense, so I had to escape", Usa recounted.

At least 33 people died and dozens were injured in the blaze, with 24 in critical condition. This casualty count once again raised questions about the enforcement of fire safety regulations in Thailand's hospitality and entertainment sectors.

Local authorities determined the fire began at 11:57 p.m. on 12/7, likely due to an electrical short circuit in the air conditioning system installed on the corrugated metal ceiling.

The pub is located at a busy intersection in Bangkok, next to train stations and two shopping centers. It is one of many similar establishments in the area, often packed with customers on weekend evenings, serving food, drinks, live music, and screening sporting events.

Two fire investigation experts stated that the stage decorative materials inside the pub, which were flammable and potentially used for soundproofing, ignited almost immediately. They generated intense heat, dense smoke, and deadly toxic gases, causing many trapped inside to suffocate.

"The fire became especially severe due to the large amount of highly flammable materials", Busakorn Saensookh, chair of the Fire Engineering Committee at the Engineering Institute of Thailand, observed after personally surveying the fire scene on 12/7.

She pointed out that the soundproofing materials and decorations were highly flammable, including artificial trees and flowers installed across the ceiling to form a green canopy, particularly around the stage and bar areas.

The pub scene after the fire. Photo: AP

"The fire involved many plastic materials, and they were quite thick plastics. When ignited, they created a powerful jet of flames due to the immense heat accumulation", Busakorn said.

She added that as that heat transferred downwards, it caused everything beneath to ignite. "The upholstered chairs were completely burnt", she said.

The use of foam materials on the pub ceiling in Bangkok is reminiscent of a devastating fire at the Crans-Montana ski resort in Switzerland on New Year's Eve. Similar materials reportedly contributed to at least 40 deaths and 119 injuries there.

About five minutes after the fire erupted, firefighter Chakrit Khongkom arrived at the scene to find the pub completely engulfed in smoke. He attempted to extinguish the flames spewing from the main door with a hose.

Inside, however, about 100 people groped in darkness and thick black smoke, trying to find an exit. Nevertheless, some survivors reported that the emergency exit was very narrow, partly obstructed by shelving, allowing only one person to squeeze through at a time.

This turned the pub space into a "death trap", where trapped individuals quickly inhaled toxic gases and collapsed. "Most of the survivors are suffering from smoke inhalation", firefighter Chakrit said.

Amorn Pimanmas, president of the Engineering Institute of Thailand, stated that the foam decorations inside the pub were not fire-resistant. When they caught fire, they produced black smoke containing carbon monoxide (CO) and cyanide gases, causing those trapped inside to suffocate.

"People died from inhaling toxic smoke before being burned by the flames. Some bodies showed no signs of burns", he said.

Officials from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration work outside the pub, after the fire was brought under control on 13/7. Photo: AFP

Like many other establishments in Bangkok, this pub was registered as a restaurant despite operating as an entertainment venue, a type of business subject to stricter regulations, according to Amorn and Busakorn.

"If an establishment is not registered as an entertainment business, its fire safety system will be inadequate, lacking features like ventilation and smoke extraction systems", Amorn explained. "This will lead to smoke and heat accumulation, creating dangerous risks".

After extinguishing the fire, a search and rescue team entered the pub, discovering many victims near the restrooms at the back of the establishment, where officials said many exit routes were blocked by tables, chairs, and beer crates.

The use of flammable materials, ignitable decorations, overcrowding, and inadequate exit routes at businesses in Thailand has been warned about repeatedly. These issues were raised after a nightclub fire killed 13 people in Chonburi in 2022 and another nightclub fire killed 65 people in Bangkok in 2009.

Since the fire last weekend, the Bangkok city administration announced it will review numerous regulations, including the use of decorative materials and the definition of entertainment venues.

"The risks today are far greater, but we still apply laws written 30-40 years ago, which are no longer suitable for current realities", Busakorn said.