"Samart" Former Deputy Governor of Bangkok clarifies questions "Ladprao Beer Hall Fire" Fire engines arrived in only 5 minutes, but why did the tragedy still occur?
Regarding the case of a fire at a "Beer Hall at Ladprao" at 23:57 on 12 July 2026, which caused many deaths and injuries, as previously reported.
Meanwhile, Dr. Samart Ratchapolsitte, former Deputy Leader of the Democrat Party and former Deputy Governor of Bangkok, posted to clarify the question, "Fire engines arrived within 5 minutes, so why did this tragedy still happen?" on hispersonal Facebook pagestating:
"The tragic fire at the Ladprao beer hall caused many deaths and injuries, a story that deeply saddened the entire Thai nation. First, I express my deepest condolences to the victims, the injured, and their families.
As the grief gradually eases, the question Thai society should ask is not merely who is at fault, but why this tragedy happened and how to prevent it from recurring. Many have asked why, despite fire engines arriving in about 5 minutes—which is very fast—there was still such great loss.
The answer is not in the speed of the fire engines but in the first few minutes after the fire started. Preliminary information shows most deaths were not caused by burns but by smoke inhalation.
In fire engineering, this is a long-accepted fact: when fire spreads to the ceiling, hot smoke and toxic gases quickly fill the building, obscuring escape routes, depleting oxygen, and possibly causing unconsciousness within minutes. In other words, smoke is the invisible killer. That is why even a rapid fire engine arrival may be too late for some lives.
Therefore, the key lesson from this event is not to make fire engines faster, but to ensure all buildings with many occupants allow people to self-evacuate safely within the first minutes of a fire.
Another point to consider: the venue had previously passed inspections, had emergency exits, emergency lights, and signage, but on the day of the fire, objects blocked escape routes. This shows that passing inspections does not guarantee safety. True safety standards depend on the condition of the building every day when the public uses it.
As a former Deputy Governor of Bangkok, I believe Thailand must seriously raise safety standards and close system loopholes. For example, there should be regular unannounced random inspections and strict enforcement against blocking emergency exits.
Importantly, laws should be reviewed to use the risk level of the business as a criterion rather than just the business type. Restaurants with live music, pubs, bars, or beer halls often share similar usage and risk. Many countries have faced similar tragedies and used them as a starting point for major safety reforms. Thailand should not wait for repeated incidents before acting.
Finally, I want to remind all operators that a license is only the beginning of responsibility, not the end. I also urge all government agencies that inspections aim not just to approve establishments but to ensure all people can return home safely.
This tragedy does not teach us to make fire engines run faster but that building safety systems must improve because every second counts during a fire, and often the first minutes mean the difference between life and death."
Thanks to Dr. Samart Ratchapolsitte's Facebook page - Dr.Samart Ratchapolsitte