The guitarist from the Tosakan band described moments of fleeing for his life, noticing the power outage and smoky haze before the fire broke out. He stated that he has performed at this venue for over a year and that there have been frequent power fluctuations and outages. He added that normally the emergency exit near the restroom is not open for passage, citing that this is to prevent intoxicated customers from fleeing without paying.
Regarding the fire at the brewery on Lat Phrao Soi 1, in the Chatuchak district on 13 July 2026, Mr. Maitree Phromrat, guitarist of the Tosakan band who was performing live music when the fire occurred, told the media that he had played at this venue for years. Usually, Fridays and Saturdays attract more customers. In the past, he encountered electrical issues during performances, including frequent power drops and outages. He said he was not involved in repair decisions, as that falls under the management of the venue owner. From his experience, the owner is kind-hearted, hospitable, concerned about staff welfare, and strict about screening customers, including prohibiting weapons and requiring cigarette lighting only outside the premises.
On the night of the incident, there were about 100 customers present. While music was playing, a burning smell was noticed, followed shortly by smoke emerging from above, then the power went out. People began screaming. He quickly exited the venue before the fire spread. He did not expect a fire to break out, which resulted in injuries and fatalities among band members.
He admitted that his profession carries considerable risk because performers cannot know whether venues have proper and stringent safety systems. At this location, there were no sprinkler systems or emergency alarm signals.
Regarding the emergency exit doors at the back, he confirmed that the right-hand rear door is for staff to load and unload goods. The left-hand rear door near the restroom was locked and blocked by a table selling candy. He understood this was to prevent intoxicated customers from escaping without paying. He expressed regret that such measures led to this situation. Emotionally, he feels saddened by the loss of property, morale, and close colleagues, and is uncertain about how to move forward.
At certain points, the Tosakan band guitarist revealed that his own guitar and effects were completely burned, with damages likely totaling hundreds of thousands of baht.