A blocked exit, a missing door handle and possible electrical failures are at the centre of Bangkok’s Lat Phrao Beer Garden fire investigation. Police are pursuing negligence after the blaze killed 28 people and injured another 62 in the packed venue.
Bangkok police have opened a sweeping negligence investigation after the Lat Phrao Beer Garden fire killed 28 people and injured 62, with detectives examining blocked and unusable exits, a toffee table obstructing an escape route, missing door handles, possible electrical failures, flammable stage materials and decades of building alterations as the venue owner remains in intensive care.
The Royal Thai Police have classified the investigation into Bangkok’s deadly Lat Phrao Beer Garden fire as a case of “negligence” as detectives race to determine why dozens of customers failed to escape.
Investigators are examining blocked exits, electrical systems, building alterations and possible fire safety failures. The inquiry now spans every aspect of the venue’s design, operation and emergency preparedness.
Police General Kittirat Phanphet, Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police, inspected the devastated building on Monday. He confirmed that 28 people have died. Their bodies remain at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Police General Hospital awaiting identification. Relatives have been urged to contact Phaholyothin Police Station or the Royal Thai Police Operations Centre to provide identifying information.
Another 62 people were injured. Some have already returned home after treatment. Investigators have now been ordered to contact every hospital treating survivors. Anyone fit to speak will be interviewed. However, the venue owner remains in intensive care and has not yet been questioned.
Police task force probes blocked restroom exit as negligence inquiry widens after deadly Bangkok fire
As part of the investigation, Pol. Gen. Kittirat has assembled a large multi-agency task force. It includes Metropolitan Police Division 2 officers, Phaholyothin investigators, forensic police, district officials and forensic pathologists.
Detectives have also divided the inquiry into specialist teams. One group will examine the owner. Others will question business partners, managers, employees and kitchen staff. Contractors responsible for renovations and extensions will also be interviewed. Police intend to reconstruct every decision made before the fire.
Notably, one discovery has become a central focus. Investigators found a table selling toffees positioned directly in front of a doorway beside the women’s restroom. That obstruction is now being treated as critical evidence.
Police believe it may have prevented customers from reaching safety. Preliminary findings also revealed that many victims were discovered inside the men’s and women’s restrooms. Detectives believe panicked customers ran there searching for another exit or water. Instead, many became trapped inside smoke-filled rooms.
Attention has also turned to the restroom door itself. Investigators found it fitted with both a doorknob and a locking mechanism. However, they have not established whether it was locked during the emergency. They are also determining whether it could be opened under evacuation conditions. Pol. Gen. Kittirat said that if the exit proved unusable, it could amount to “negligence.” That question has become one of the investigation’s most significant issues.
Missing door handle and narrow passage deepen scrutiny of escape routes and suspected stage fire origin
Separately, detectives inspected another marked emergency exit connecting the bar area to the rear kitchen. Although clearly labelled as an exit, the sliding door had no handle or doorknob. The escape route was further restricted by shelves and lockers.
Investigators found the passage narrow enough for only one person at a time. Officers are now determining whether those obstacles delayed evacuation. They are also examining whether the alterations accelerated the spread of smoke and flames.
Meanwhile, the suspected origin of the fire has drawn intense scrutiny. Preliminary evidence places it above the music stage. That area contained extensive decorative materials. Detectives are now examining whether flammable products were installed during renovations.
They are also investigating whether materials used to improve the venue’s appearance or acoustics increased the fire risk. Every recovered item will undergo forensic testing before conclusions are reached.
On another front, the Forensic Science Division has been ordered to examine the entire ceiling. Specialists will inspect electrical wiring, circuit breakers and electrical equipment. They will also test the building’s power cut-off system.
Detectives want to establish whether electrical faults played any role. The building itself is also under investigation. Police believe it is about 53 years old. Officers are tracing every addition and structural alteration made over the decades.
Building permits, locked exits and renovation records become central to the negligence investigation
In addition, district officials have been instructed to produce construction records and renovation permits. Investigators said the building had been modified by several contractors over the years. Every alteration will now be compared with official approvals.
Detectives will also examine compliance with the Building Control Act. Relevant permits issued by government agencies are being reviewed. Police will determine whether any criminal liability arose from those modifications.
In response to reports that exits had been locked, firefighters and rescue workers will be interviewed. Detectives want first-hand accounts from those who entered the building. Investigators will establish exactly what they found upon arrival.
They will also determine how each locking mechanism operated during the emergency. Those findings will become key evidence in the criminal investigation.
Pol. Gen. Kittirat said detectives are currently focusing on “negligence” as the principal issue. However, every possible contributing factor will be investigated. Police are gathering evidence covering emergency exits, electrical systems, building alterations and fire protection measures. They are also examining evacuation planning and emergency procedures. The police chief said every piece of evidence will be assessed before legal action is considered.
Stage evidence, fire systems and hospital response face detailed checks as police build the case
Elsewhere, forensic investigators have recovered evidence from the area above the music stage. They said it differs from material found elsewhere inside the dining area. Preliminary examinations suggest it appears flammable.
Laboratory analysis remains ongoing. Investigators also confirmed that the venue’s business licence initially appeared compliant with regulations. However, that finding does not end the inquiry. Detectives are still determining whether the building met all required safety standards.
Equally important, investigators are reviewing the venue’s fire protection systems. They will determine whether equipment met required standards. Police are also examining how easily firefighters and rescue crews could reach the blaze. Access routes inside the building are being analysed. Those findings will help explain how rescue operations unfolded.
At the same time, Pol. Gen. Kittirat rejected reports that hospitals refused critically injured victims. He said Police General Hospital administrators briefed him personally. According to those reports, patients were accepted as normal. All 62 injured people were distributed among hospitals according to treatment capability. Police therefore rejected claims that victims had been refused admission.
Police reject influence claims as Bangkok venues face inspections and explosion questions intensify
The police chief also addressed reports concerning the venue owner. Some reports claimed the owner is the sibling of a police superintendent serving nearby. Pol. Gen. Kittirat said he had not yet received any official report confirming that claim. Even so, he insisted there would be no influence or special treatment. He described the case as extremely serious because of the high death toll.
In parallel, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau has ordered inspections of entertainment venues throughout Bangkok. Officers will review safety standards, emergency exits and evacuation arrangements. Police intend to use the operation as a model for nationwide inspections of similar businesses.
Investigators are also analysing dramatic images showing flames bursting from the building. Pol. Gen. Kittirat said such flames can occur naturally after oxygen inside a burning structure is exhausted. Opening a rear door can then send flames shooting into the air.
However, investigators are still determining whether an explosion also occurred. Detectives will establish the number of gas cylinders inside the venue. They will also determine whether any cylinders exploded during the fire.
Forensic teams dismantle stage and ceiling as electrical failures and rapid fire spread are examined
Looking ahead, forensic examinations are expected to continue for another two or three days. Sections of the stage and ceiling must first be dismantled. Only then can specialists inspect the suspected point of origin.
Contractors involved in previous renovations will identify where structural changes were made. Detectives will compare those locations with photographs taken before the disaster. Police hope the comparison will explain the rapid spread of the blaze and the huge volume of smoke that killed 28 people and injured 62 others.
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Finally, investigators are examining reports from musicians who regularly performed at the venue. Some reported repeated power failures before the fire. Those accounts have raised questions about overloaded electrical systems or malfunctioning circuit breakers.
Pol. Gen. Kittirat said the Forensic Science Division has been instructed to investigate every aspect thoroughly. Those findings will be added to the case file as detectives work to establish exactly how the fire spread and whether “negligence” caused one of Bangkok’s deadliest entertainment venue disasters.
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