Lat Phrao brewery faces licence revocation as families collect victims’ bodies

Bangkok authorities could revoke all operating licences held by Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao if forensic investigators confirm that the venue’s four emergency exits were locked or could not be used during the deadly fire.

Chatuchak district director Prasat Phosrimat inspected the venue on Lat Phrao Road on Monday and said it had four fire exits, meeting the number required by law.

However, he said district officials could not confirm whether all four exits had been functional or accessible when the blaze broke out. Police forensic investigators would have to establish the facts.

“If it is found that the emergency exits could not actually be used, all operating licences will have to be revoked,” he said.

Venue classified outside entertainment zoning

Prasat explained that the premises resembled an entertainment venue but stood outside Bangkok’s designated nightlife zones, such as Patpong and RCA.

It was therefore legally classified as an establishment similar to an entertainment venue rather than a fully zoned nightlife business.

Such establishments are subject to operating-hour controls. Where live music is provided, performances must end by midnight. The fire occurred after 11pm, within the permitted period.

Initial checks found that the building’s structure complied with legal requirements, Prasat said.

He suggested that additional decorative materials installed around the stage and beverage bar may have contributed to the rapid spread of the flames, although investigators had yet to confirm the cause.

District director denies knowing owner

Asked about reports that he knew the venue’s owner, Prasat denied any personal connection.

He said inspections were normally coordinated directly by the district office’s environmental division, with fire and rescue personnel, public-health officials and local police also involved in checks covering safety and fire prevention.

The latest inspections were conducted before the New Year and Songkran holidays, when Bangkok authorities routinely order checks of venues expected to attract large crowds.

Prasat said officials had found no irregularities during those inspections and that the establishment had met all items on the required checklist.

He added that the venue’s security guards had generally enforced rules strictly among customers.

Inspections found required safety equipment

Prasat said district officials had previously checked the emergency stairways and exits and found all required features in place.

These included emergency lighting and clearly marked escape-route signs.

The district office had also received no complaints alleging electrical short circuits at the venue.

Operating licences are renewed annually, he said, and renewal is conditional on the absence of unresolved complaints and successful completion of the prescribed inspection checklist.

Officials also conduct checks during the year to ensure that establishments continue to meet required standards.

The investigation will now determine whether the venue’s emergency exits and other safety systems remained usable in practice when the fire occurred. Its licences could be withdrawn if the evidence shows that legally required escape routes were locked, obstructed or otherwise inaccessible.

Forensic examinations completed as families collect victims

Relatives have begun arriving at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Police General Hospital to arrange the release of those who died in the fire at Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao late on July 12. The blaze claimed 27 lives.

Pol Maj Gen Wirun Suphasingsiripreecha, commander of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, said examinations had been completed on all 27 bodies.

Authorities are now awaiting DNA samples from relatives so they can compare the results and formally confirm each victim’s identity. More than half of the victims’ families have already contacted the institute to provide samples.