CHIANG MAI – A devastating house fire in Chiang Mai has taken the lives of five people from the same family. The victims were a grandmother, a father, and mother, and their 5-year-old twin daughters.
Neighbours said they saw smoke and shouted to warn the family, but there was no reply. The fire spread too quickly, and the home’s metal bars and electric gate made it hard to get inside.
Reports say the blaze started at about 23:50 on 7 January at a house in Pa Daet Subdistrict, Mueang District, Chiang Mai. The property is a two-storey house, and the flames intensified fast.
Five residents were trapped upstairs. Neighbours tried to help by spraying water and attempting to reach those inside, but they couldn’t get through in time. The front gate used an electric system, and the house had iron grilles, which became major obstacles.
Firefighters and rescue teams arrived and pulled all five people from the house. They were unconscious and rushed to the hospital, but all later died. Officials said it took about an hour of continuous water spraying to bring the fire under control. The house was left heavily damaged.
House Fire Victims Identified
The five people who died were:
- Mrs Sunee Tachai, 70 (grandmother)
- Mr Kawin Tachai, 35 (father)
- Ms Waritsara Chaloeykrai, 35 (mother)
- Miss Lalisa Tachai, 5 (twin daughter)
- Miss Lalinda Tachai, 5 (twin daughter)
Early checks suggest the home was a concrete structure with a lot of wooden décor and fittings, which may have helped the fire spread. Investigators believe the fire likely began on the ground floor, while the family was asleep on the second floor. Neighbours suspect the victims may have inhaled smoke and lost consciousness before they could escape.
On 8 January 2569, Chiang Mai Governor Rattaphon Naradisorn and Police Major General Yutthana Kaenchand, Commander of Chiang Mai Provincial Police, visited the scene.
Police forensic officers also inspected the property and collected evidence to identify the exact cause of the fire. Authorities will also review supporting evidence along with autopsy findings from Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital to confirm the cause of death.
Officials noted there were two houses inside the same fenced area. The larger main house was where the family lived, with bedrooms upstairs. The second house was unoccupied.
The ground floor of the main house suffered the most damage, and investigators believe the fire may have started there before smoke and flames spread to other parts of the home. The second structure, described as older wood, may have contributed to the fire spreading rapidly.
