SAMUT SAKHON — A fire swept through a row of commercial buildings at Samut Sakhon’s central shrimp market on 15 November 2026, damaging eight units and sending migrant workers and shopkeepers fleeing as flames spread rapidly through the premises.
The fire broke out at approximately 11:45 in a four-storey commercial building, including a mezzanine level, inside the central shrimp market in Maha Chai subdistrict, Mueang Samut Sakhon district.
Police at Mueang Samut Sakhon Police Station received the emergency report and coordinated with Samut Sakhon City Municipality to dispatch firefighters.
Mayor Chumphon Chanchawatthana, acting as incident commander, oversaw the firefighting operation.
As flames spread to neighbouring units, additional fire engines were called in from nearby areas, bringing the total number of firefighting vehicles to more than 10.
Firefighters faced difficulties containing the blaze because the premises contained large quantities of combustible materials, including foam food containers, plastic products and clothing.
It took nearly an hour to bring the fire under control.
Eight commercial units were damaged, four severely and four partially. The total value of the damage is still being assessed.
Witnesses report explosion near electrical transformer
The affected commercial units belonged to a landlord who rented them to tenants operating shops serving workers and residents of the shrimp market.
The exact location where the fire started has not yet been established.
Witnesses reported hearing a sound resembling an explosion from an electrical transformer outside unit 943/7 shortly before the blaze.
They said smoke then began pouring from a shop near an electricity pole before flames spread rapidly through the building.
Shop owners and workers rushed to carry out whatever belongings they could salvage before fleeing to safety.
The sudden spread of the fire caused panic among people in the area.
Authorities investigate cause and arrange assistance
Samut Sakhon Deputy Governor Wachiraporn Amatayakul visited the scene to monitor the situation and instructed the municipality to arrange temporary accommodation and assistance for those affected.
She also directed local officials to provide relief in accordance with municipal regulations.
Pol Capt Suphon Wichit, deputy investigation inspector at Mueang Samut Sakhon Police Station, will coordinate with provincial forensic officers to establish the cause of the fire.
Investigators said one possibility was that an electrical transformer had exploded, sending sparks into a nearby grocery shop, where they could have ignited foam containers, plastic goods or other flammable materials.
However, authorities have not confirmed that a transformer explosion caused the blaze.
The financial damage remains under assessment. No casualty figures were provided in the initial report.
