Two Young Friends Killed in Bangkok Beer Hall Fire
A fire at a Bangkok beer hall killed two friends, a married couple, while a third group member was severely injured; a survivor who stepped outside for a cigarette moments before the blaze escaped with her life.
On July 13, 2025, Usa (known as Pealm), 40, a survivor and senior friend of the deceased, recounted the harrowing moments and devastating loss of two group members in a fire at an entertainment venue in Bangkok's Ladprao district. She was visiting the venue that night with four others in her group, explaining that they were regular patrons who visited frequently, sometimes several times a week.
When they first arrived, the group sat at a back table, but suddenly felt like dancing and moved to the front near the stage—ironically, the exact spot where flames would later fall. Usa recalled a strange premonition before the fire: she had received a phone call from a friend to whom she said, "Well, I'm going now, I won't be coming back, I won't be around to bother anyone." Her friend Li, who would later perish, had even warned her not to go.
Shortly after, Usa and another friend stepped outside for a cigarette, having just moved tables and not yet ordered drinks. It was this decision that would save their lives. While smoking, Usa noticed smoke coming from the roof and alerted a security guard. Moments later, a loud explosion erupted, and flames began cascading from the ceiling near the stage, followed by thick black smoke billowing out rapidly.
Usa and her friend attempted to run back inside to rescue the three others, but intense heat pushed them back. They later used chairs to break the front windows to help evacuate people and search desperately for their friends through every available door.
Eventually, devastating news came: two friends had died—Li and his wife Ice, a married couple with two young children. A third friend in the group suffered severe injuries and remained in ICU at Pramongkutklao Hospital. Usa described waiting through the night until around 6 a.m., when she immediately recognized her friend's body being wheeled out. She ran after staff preparing to perform CPR, only to be told, "No need, put it down," as they covered her friend's body with a white sheet before her eyes.
