Fire breaks out at Chiang Mai’s iconic Dhara Dhevi Hotel — No injuries reported

A fire broke out at the renowned Dhara Dhevi Hotel in Chiang Mai province in the early hours of Wednesday (April 23). Firefighters and rescue teams worked swiftly to contain the flames within a limited area, and there are no initial reports of injuries or fatalities.

At around 1:50 a.m., the Ruamjai Chiang Mai Foundation's radio center received an alert about the fire at the Dhara Dhevi Hotel, located in the Tha Sala Subdistrict of Mueang District, Chiang Mai province.

The foundation dispatched a rescue vehicle, along with rescue personnel and volunteers, to the scene. Firefighters were also deployed to help extinguish the blaze.

Initial reports from officials at the scene indicate that the fire broke out in an inner section of the hotel building.

The exact cause of the fire remains unconfirmed, and the full extent of the damage has yet to be assessed. Firefighters are continuing efforts to fully contain the blaze and are inspecting surrounding areas to prevent it from spreading to other parts of the hotel.

Preliminary reports confirm that there have been no injuries or fatalities. Authorities will continue to investigate and assess the situation, with further updates expected.

The five-star Dhara Dhevi Hotel — designed to reflect the historical Lanna aesthetic — was built in 2002 with a budget of 3 billion baht in Chiang Mai’s Mueang District. The 153-rai, 123-room property opened in 2004 and was initially managed by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

Since its launch, the hotel has faced a series of financial issues. By 2015, its major shareholder sold the property to Inter Far East Energy Corp (IFEC).

Its challenges deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually leading to mass layoffs and bankruptcy after its petition for rehabilitation was rejected in June 2020.

The Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) has disclosed that the OIC Regional Office 1 (Chiang Mai) has already conducted an on-site inspection. The office confirmed that Dhara Dhevi Hotel in Chiang Mai did not have any insurance coverage in place.