Authorities believe the fire was probably sparked by an electrical short circuit in a ceiling air conditioner.
Police are investigating the possibility of negligence and if emergency exits were obstructed, as the government vows to tighten regulations over entertainment venues, including random inspections to ensure fire exits are unobstructed and that venues are safe.
The bar had undergone an inspection in April.
The bar, located at a busy intersection next to train stations and two shopping malls, is one of a cluster of similar bars often crowded on weekend nights, serving food, drinks as well as offering live music and televised sports.
Experts say they think combustible material that decorated the stage to improve acoustics instantly ignited to produce extreme heat, smoke and toxins, choking the trapped patrons.
The use of flammable materials and decorative items, crowded conditions and unusable emergency exits in Thai establishments have been previously flagged, including after a fire at another Bangkok nightclub in 2009 that killed at least 65.
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