Thread: Fire collapses luxury home in Bangkok, at least five dead, mostly first responders

At least five people have been pronounced dead, nearly all rescue volunteer workers, after a fire raged through a luxury home in Bangkok this morning, causing the building to collapse while volunteer firefighters were inside. One person is reportedly still trapped under the rubble and alive as of 1:00 PM, according to first responders at the scene.


The fire took place at the Krisada Nakhon Village 31, near Phuttakanthon Sai 3 Road early this morning, April 3rd, 2021, around 6:00 A.M. It swept through the home for nearly an hour, eventually causing the collapse of the building while volunteer firefighters were inside fighting the blaze. The home was a large three-story luxury home about 200 square meters in total. The house was reportedly a company building where eight people resided who worked for the company.

The collapse took place when firefighters from the Bangkok Fire and Rescue Department along with volunteers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation were attempting to rescue a 35-year-old man, Mr. Somkiat Patterson, who was trapped inside a bathroom of the home. The flames weakened the structure, causing the general collapse.


The fire reportedly started from a guardhouse near the front of the property, possibly from an electrical socket, and quickly spread through the home. Seven people escaped with the assistance of rescue workers, however, Somkiat had become trapped in a downstairs bathroom which prompted the rescue effort.

Aswin Kwanmuang, Bangkok Governor, personally traveled to the scene this morning to take command of the situation and rescue efforts to reach those trapped under the rubble.


Confirmed dead so far are Thanaphob Prapai, 44, Samatcha Nilthong, 48, Mr. Somkiat Patterson, 35, who was the man trapped in the bathroom that rescue workers were attempting to rescue, Mr. Suthat Plengklad, 38, and Attapol Thuamthong, 26. Officials stated that signs of life have been reported from at least one volunteer worker trapped in the rubble as of 1:00 P.M. and rescue workers were attempting to determine how to reach them.

According to multiple sources, the residents of the home were active in helping those affected by the Covid-19 crisis, regularly handing out free food and provisions to people who were in need or had lost their jobs due to Covid-19.


The rescue workers who died during the tragic fire are already being treated as heroes by many on Thai social media for sacrificing their lives while attempting to rescue others from the blaze.

Fire collapses luxury home in Bangkok, at least five people are dead, mostly first responders - The Pattaya News

Bodies of four firemen who tragically died in horrifying building collapse in Bangkok yesterday successfully recovered this morning, familes to receive 100,000-baht compensation


The bodies of four firemen who tragically died in a horrifying building collapse yesterday were recovered in the early hours of this morning, April 4th, the director of the Thawi Watthana District Office announced today.


District office director Pornlert Phensap told the Associated Press that the rescue officials had successfully recovered all the dead bodies from the collapse in a village of Krisada Nakhon 31 at around 6:30 AM today.


The staff of the district office arrived at the scene as soon as the end of the recovery to clean up the debris and the surrounding area. They also announced an official prohibition from entering the area for safety reasons.


According to a building owner representative, the owner is still living abroad but said that he would order the building demolition of the remains as quickly as possible. However, the dismantling has to proceed after the police have finished examining the area and gathering additional evidence.


Bodies of four firemen who tragically died in horrifying building collapse in Bangkok yesterday successfully recovered this morning, familes to receive 100,000-baht compensation - The Pattaya News

Do luxury homes usually collapse?

Just shows you can never be complacent living in these places, no matter what claims are made to so-called 'luxury'.

Originally Posted by cyrille

Just shows you can never be complacent living in these places,

Yep there's much to be said about a good old diligently watched CCTV and the sprinkler system from from Chiang Mai's Fire Department's finest

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

One should never, ever confuse luxury with competence in Thailand.

Around ten years or so ago, a fire broke out in an apartment's kitchen in the Le Raffine condominium in Soi 24 Sukhumvit, Bangkok. The condo was a relatively new build and developed as a super luxury address where the flats boasted their own swimming pools and priced at over 50 million baht each, a prodigious sum then.

The alarm panel in the complex failed as did the development's sprinkler system - I recall at the time, as it was reported then in the Bangkok Post, there was the suggestion that despite occupation the fire alarm system was still not fully connected.

The emergency services that attended had difficulty in reaching the seat of the fire with their hoses given the problem in actually getting the right tenders to the site in the first place. In the end the crews ran up stair wells with a pump and used the flat's swimming pool to source the water with which they doused the flames.

Yeah - bad builds and a lot of those sois (Ruam Rudee is especially bad) have poor access for emergency services.