On July 1, 2024, at 4:45 a.m., Police Lieutenant Colonel Chaiya Buamas, Deputy Inspector of Hua Mak Police Station, responded to a fire at the NASA Street building, near the Ramkhamhaeng Airport Rail Link station on Ramkhamhaeng Road in the Hua Mak Subdistrict of Bangkok’s Bang Kapi District. The incident prompted a swift response from the authorities, including Police Colonel Porntawee Somwong, superintendent of Hua Mak Police Station, and ten fire trucks.
The fire ignited in a three-story building located approximately 4 meters from the Skytrain stairs. The blaze began on the first floor, which housed rental lockers and various small shops selling items such as hair clips, kiosks, and umbrellas. Initial detection occurred in a clothing store, from which the fire rapidly spread to nearby nail salons and other retail outlets, primarily clothing stores. Authorities quickly shut off the electricity and used water to douse the flames, bringing the situation under control within about 20 minutes. Despite the extensive damage to around 30 shops, no injuries or fatalities were reported.
Witnesses, including Ms. Nipaporn, a convenience store employee, reported detecting the smell of smoke around 4:30 a.m. Believing it might be an electrical issue within her store, she checked the rear area but found nothing. Upon inspecting the front, she discovered significant smoke and flames originating from the ground floor of the building. Her attempts to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher failed due to the large amount of flammable clothing. She promptly called the fire department for assistance.
By 5:30 a.m., Bangkok Governor Mr. Chatchat Sitthiphan arrived on the scene. He instructed officials to secure the safety of commuters using the Ramkhamhaeng Airport Rail Link station. Governor Sitthiphan, who had been jogging in Yaowarat when he received news of the fire, hurried to the site to oversee the situation. The damage was confined to the building’s first floor, and as a precaution, the station was temporarily closed. Passengers were redirected to use Makkasan and Hua Mak stations, though train services continued unaffected. The station reopened at 8:30 a.m., but the escalator remained out of service. Forensic officials are scheduled to examine the site later in the morning to ascertain the fire’s cause.
At approximately 4:54 a.m., firefighters reported that the fire had been brought under control. By 6 a.m., the Airport Rail Link issued a statement on Facebook, explaining the temporary closure of Ramkhamhaeng station. The fire did not disrupt train services, and the station reopened by 8:30 a.m., with the escalator still non-operational.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Buamas, Colonel Somwong, and other officials attended the scene to manage the response and ensure public safety.