BANGKOK – A violent fire tore through a 38-storey luxury condominium in Bangkok’s busy Pinklao district on Thursday afternoon, sending columns of black smoke into the sky and trapping residents on higher floors.
The blaze, which started on the 16th floor opposite CentralPlaza Pinklao, has sharpened scrutiny of fire safety in the capital’s packed high-rises. The first alarm came at about 1:55 p.m., after flames broke out inside a unit on the 16th floor of the tower on Somdet Phra Pinklao Road in Arun Amarin, Bangkok Noi.
Witnesses described a terrifying scene as thick, choking smoke burst from shattered windows and climbed the facade within minutes. “It looked like the side of the tower was spewing smoke,” said Somchai Wong, 45, who had been shopping at the nearby mall. “People were crying out from balconies and waving cloths. You could hear the fear.”
Home to more than 500 units, the modern riverside condo houses families, young professionals, and expatriates drawn to the Chao Phraya views. It became a vertical trap as the fire spread. Crews from Bang Pla Thanon Fire Station and Bangkok Noi rescue teams arrived quickly with more than a dozen engines and ladder trucks.
The flames, fed by furnishings and possibly faulty wiring, proved stubborn. Smoke moved through vents and corridors, turning stairwells into hazards. Many residents sheltered in hallways or on balconies while waiting to be reached.
At least 20 people were cut off above the source of the fire, surrounded by smoke that blocked exits. Videos on social media showed a mother on the 22nd floor clutching a toddler as smoke seeped under a door, and an older couple on the 28th floor struggling to breathe while firefighters raced to position a rescue basket.
“We could not see ahead of us,” said survivor Nattaporn Lee, 32, who escaped from the 15th floor with burns on her arms. “The lifts were shut, the stairs were full of dark smoke. I thought we would not make it.” Some residents tried to knot bedsheets into ropes, though most were escorted down by firefighters with breathing gear or brought down by aerial platforms.
CentralPlaza Pinklao Was partly Evacuated
By 4:30 p.m., after roughly three hours, firefighters had confined the blaze to floors 16 to 20. The fire chief said the structure remained sound, although upper floors were not safe to occupy. Early checks suggest an air conditioning short-circuit may have sparked the fire, but forensic teams are still combing the site.
No deaths have been confirmed, a stroke of luck, though 15 people were taken to Siriraj Hospital and Phramongkutklao Hospital with smoke inhalation and minor injuries. CentralPlaza Pinklao was partly evacuated, with cinemas and shops closed for several hours as drifting embers raised concern.
The incident adds to a list of serious fires that have haunted Bangkok. Weak oversight and ageing systems have often turned buildings into risks. The 1993 Kader Toy Factory blaze in Nakhon Pathom remains the country’s worst industrial fire, with 188 dead after locked exits and collapsing steel frames trapped workers.
In 2009, fireworks ignited flammable decor at the Santika Pub in Ekkamai, killing 67 people at a New Year’s event and exposing substandard controls, including too few extinguishers for a crowded venue. In December 2024, a fire at The Ember Hotel near Khao San Road killed three foreign tourists, with survivors fleeing upwards amid broken windows and delays.
State Tower and Grand Park Avenue Hotel Fires
In March 2012, fires at the State Tower and Grand Park Avenue Hotel revealed breaches of building rules, such as poor fire escapes and overloaded wiring.
These events highlight a long-running risk across a skyline of more than 5,000 towers, including condominiums, offices, and hotels. Heat and humidity raise the chance of electrical faults. Experts say buildings approved after 1992 must meet the Building Control Act requirements, including sprinklers, pressurized stairwells, and yearly checks by qualified engineers.
However, enforcement has been inconsistent. The 1997 Ministerial Regulation No. 47 allows the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to require upgrades in older properties, such as improved fire escapes and smoke detectors in every unit. A 2016 Bangkok Post report found only 40 percent of pre-1992 towers received regular audits, leaving many residents at risk.
“Smoke spreads quicker than flames in these towers because of open facades and poor sealing,” said Dr Supachai Tangwongsan, a fire safety engineer at Chulalongkorn University. “Many condos lack proper compartment walls to slow fire, and some keep faulty wiring.
With rapid growth, inspection often falls behind.” He noted the 1997 Royal Jomtien Resort Hotel fire, where a propane leak killed 100 people and injured many more. A later review in the province found hundreds of buildings out of compliance.
Bangkok Governor Orders Inspections
The pattern has not gone away. A 2023 Savills report on high-rises in Southeast Asia warned that design choices in Thailand often favour looks over clear escape routes and safe ground-level evacuation areas.
Following Thursday’s blaze, BMA Governor Chadchart Sittipunt ordered immediate inspections of condominiums in the Pinklao area. He promised fines for violations and support for safety upgrades.
“We have come too close to disaster before,” he said at a briefing outside the cordon, as residents covered in soot waited under tents. The Thailand Fire Safety Network urged mandatory evacuation drills and alarms linked to authorities in real time.
For families displaced to temporary shelters at the mall, the shock was plain. “We chose this place for the view, not the vents,” said resident Aree Jiranunt, 28, holding her singed cat. As crews cleared debris at sunset, Bangkok looked to answers and action. In a city of soaring towers, keeping people safe from smoke and fire has never felt more urgent.
