A blaze engulfed a community on Wutthakat Road in Thonburi district early Wednesday morning, burning 31 rented rooms and leaving about a hundred people homeless.

Fire fighters took about an hour to control the fire, which broke out at about 5.30am. No one was injured.

Most of the people affected by the fire in Wutthakat Soi 18 were tenants of the rented rooms.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt visited the site and ordered the setting up of a relief centre to help those affected.

Initial investigations indicate that an explosion was heard at house number 5, which was unoccupied and undergoing repairs at the time. Neighbours were forced to break into the property when indications of a fire were detected. The fire spread quickly because of a strong wind and old timber being kept there.