THE mother of Bangkok pub fire victim Lu Weiye thought nothing of it when she did not get a reply to an SMS she sent to him just after midnight on New Year's Day wishing him 'Happy New Year'.

When she read newspaper reports the next day of the blaze at the Santika pub, she frantically tried to reach him on the phone but to no avail.

Her fears were confirmed when she called his flatmate and close friend Jeremy Lu, 25, later that day.