Fire destroyed 13 shophouses in Bangkok's Phraeng Nara area, known for its old food shops, in Phra Nakhon district early Monday morning.
The flames raged quickly through the dry wood of the old two-storey houses, but there was no report of injuries.
Firemen were called to the scene just after midnight. It took them over an hour to bring the fire under control.
The damage was still being assessd, Pol Capt Loetchai Phuelongchai, deputy inspector at Samran Rat, said later on Monday. Investigators planned a joint inspection with representatives of the Crown Property Bureau, which oversees Phrang Nara area.
Phraeng Nara, which is not far from the Defence Ministry, links with Phraeng Phuthon and Phraeng Sapphasat, the narrow streets famed for their gastronomic atmosphere and vintage architecture.
Some wooden shophouses were built around 140 years ago in the reign of King Rama V.
Police investigators were questioning the owner of a shophouse where the fire was believed to have started.
The owner was not staying in the shophouse when the building caught fire, Pol Capt Loetchai said.