BANGKOK — One of Bangkok’s best-known electronics and bargain-shopping centers has been devastated by a massive overnight fire, with Governor Chadchart Sittipunt saying the damage to Klong Thom Center is effectively total and the badly weakened structure will have to be dismantled.
The blaze erupted at the commercial complex on Worachak Road in Bangkok’s Pom Prap Sattru Phai district at around 8:42 p.m. on Friday, August 28, triggering a huge emergency response as flames tore through shops packed with electronics, plastics, batteries and other combustible merchandise.
By Saturday, August 29, the scale of the destruction had become clearer.
Chadchart said damage covered virtually the entire roughly four-rai site, while aerial drone surveys showed much of the building had collapsed inward after its steel structure was exposed to intense heat for hours.
The Bangkok governor said the structure was too badly damaged to preserve and would have to be removed.
Firefighters Battled the Blaze for Hours
The first firefighting crews reportedly reached the scene within minutes of receiving the alarm, but conditions inside Klong Thom Center made the fire exceptionally difficult to attack.
Officials said large quantities of plastics, electronic equipment and batteries helped fuel the blaze, while the building’s exterior façade made it difficult for firefighters positioned outside to direct water into burning areas.
The steel-framed building also began losing structural strength under prolonged heat, forcing firefighters to prioritize their own safety and attack much of the fire from outside rather than send crews deep into the complex.
Authorities initially brought the major blaze under control overnight, with Thai PBS reporting that firefighters had largely controlled the fire by about 5:32 a.m. Saturday.
But the danger was far from over.
Hot spots remained buried beneath collapsed sections of the building, and heavy equipment had to be brought in to open access routes so firefighters could reach smoldering material beneath the debris.
Fire Flared Up Again Saturday Afternoon
At around 2:37 p.m. Saturday, smoke again poured from the ruined complex and flames were spotted in an upper section of the site.
Firefighters rushed back into action as dark and reddish-brown smoke rose over the area, raising renewed concerns about burning chemicals and toxic material.
The flare-up was eventually brought under control after roughly an hour, but officials continued treating the area as hazardous because heat remained trapped beneath twisted steel and collapsed debris.
Bangkok Deputy Governor Tavida Kamolvej said later in the afternoon that crews were being forced to reconsider their approach because moving collapsed steel too aggressively could destabilize the structure — or expose smoldering material to fresh oxygen and cause another flare-up.
11 Injured, One Volunteer Seriously Hurt
The latest detailed briefing from Bangkok authorities cited by Daily News put the number of injured at 11.
Ten suffered relatively minor injuries and had been treated, while one volunteer firefighter suffered serious smoke inhalation and required hospital treatment.
No deaths from the Klong Thom Center fire had been reported as of Saturday afternoon.
Earlier reports had listed 10 injuries, which explains differing figures circulating among Thai news organizations during the rapidly developing emergency.
PM2.5 Surges to Dangerous Level Near Fire
The destruction created another concern beyond the fire itself: air pollution.
Bangkok officials recorded PM2.5 levels of around 630 micrograms per cubic meter at the fire site, prompting authorities to urge people to stay away from the area and use N95 masks if they were exposed to the smoke.
Officials said preliminary testing had not detected volatile organic compounds at levels considered immediately alarming, but continuous monitoring was ordered because of the range of electronic equipment, batteries, plastics and other materials involved in the blaze.
Infrared-equipped drones were also deployed to identify hidden hot spots and help firefighters determine where crews could safely operate.
Did Batteries Start the Klong Thom Fire?
One of the biggest unanswered questions is what actually caused the disaster.
Chadchart said an early possibility being considered was a battery or battery-powered device stored inside one of the shops. According to Matichon, the building’s main electrical power was normally cut at around 8 p.m., leading officials to examine whether stored batteries or similar equipment could have ignited independently.
But authorities have stressed that this is only a preliminary theory.
Forensic investigators have not yet been able to fully examine the suspected point of origin because sections of the building remain unstable and dangerous. A definitive cause therefore has not been established.
Another Major Question: What Happened to the Sprinklers?
Investigators are also expected to examine the building’s fire-suppression system.
The operator reportedly told authorities that Klong Thom Center had sprinklers installed. However, officials said video footage examined after the fire did not clearly show the sprinkler system operating during the critical early stages of the blaze.
Whether the system failed, was overwhelmed by the intensity of the fire, or operated in a way not visible in the available footage remains unclear.
Officials have cautioned that this issue also requires a formal investigation.
Hundreds of Traders Face Heavy Losses
The fire has devastated a commercial district known for generations of trading in electronics, tools, spare parts, accessories, collectibles and other merchandise.
Hundreds of stalls and businesses operated within or around the complex, leaving scores of traders facing potentially severe losses.
Bangkok authorities opened a registration center at Wat Phra Phiren, opposite Klong Thom Center, for affected operators to document losses and begin applying for assistance.
By Saturday afternoon, Bangkok’s deputy governor said roughly 200 affected traders or registered tenants had already provided information to authorities, while police had separately received reports from more than 160 people.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also visited the site and said authorities would work with insurers and examine available disaster-relief mechanisms for affected businesses.
More Than a Shopping Center
Klong Thom has long been associated with Bangkok’s sprawling trade in electronics, car accessories, tools, secondhand goods and unusual collectibles.
In more recent years, the center had also become known for imported models, art toys, vintage merchandise and collector items, extending Klong Thom’s reputation beyond traditional electronics trading.
That is why Chadchart’s assessment carries significance well beyond the physical damage.
The immediate battle is now against hidden heat, unstable steel and the economic fallout facing hundreds of traders. But once the wreckage is cleared, Bangkok will face a much larger question:
What replaces one of the city’s most recognizable trading landmarks — and what investigators discover about how the fire spread so rapidly could determine how other densely packed commercial buildings are protected in the future.
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