PM Rejects Resignation Calls After Deadly Bar Fire Claiming 30 Lives

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Tuesday dismissed calls for his resignation as interior minister following a deadly fire at Na Ladprao Brewery that has now claimed 30 lives, calling the question "unprofessional" while pledging to review entertainment venue zoning laws and tighten enforcement against businesses that violate regulations. Speaking at Government House, Anutin said authorities would study whether existing zoning rules for entertainment venues in Bangkok remain appropriate and whether amendments to related laws are needed. He noted that zoning in the capital falls under the jurisdiction of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the police, adding that current regulations permit designated entertainment zones only in Khao San Road and RCA. Outside those areas, venues are generally required to close by midnight and are subject to restrictions on live entertainment. Anutin questioned several existing legal provisions, saying some regulations governing live music and dancing no longer reflect modern society. “I’m a musician myself, and I still don’t understand why live music has to stop at midnight,” he said, adding that musicians should not be penalized by outdated laws. He also said distance requirements from schools and temples should be reviewed, arguing that in Bangkok it is difficult to find locations that are not within two kilometers of either. When asked whether he would resign following the fire, which has now claimed 30 lives, Anutin smiled before replying: “Next question.” “That question has no basis. It’s intended to provoke emotion. It shouldn’t be asked. Please be professional,” he told reporters. Responding to criticism that Thailand lacks strict oversight of entertainment venues, Anutin rejected the claim. He said entertainment venue licenses are inspected annually and that authorities routinely examine compliance with safety regulations. “The recurring problem is that some people deliberately break the law in the hope of making more profit,” he said. “They take the risk, but it is not sustainable.” He warned that governors nationwide, including the Bangkok governor, had been instructed to intensify inspections of entertainment venues. Anutin also criticized reports that an emergency exit at the fire-damaged venue had been secured with a double lock to prevent customers from leaving without paying. “How can anyone accept that explanation?” he said. He said the venue’s owner, manager and operators would face legal action, while confirming that the establishment’s entertainment licence had been revoked. “That venue will never reopen as an entertainment business,” Anutin said. “They will have to find another profession because the licence has been revoked.”