Mon Mar 31 15:24:00 UTC 2025: ## Bangkok Skyscraper Collapse: Concerns Over Construction Quality Amidst Investigation

**Bangkok, Thailand** – The collapse of a 30-story skyscraper under construction in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district following a major earthquake in Myanmar has claimed 18 lives and left 76 people missing. Authorities are investigating the incident, focusing on the Chinese-backed company involved in the project, China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd.

The partially completed building, intended to house Thailand’s State Audit Office (SAO), was a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development Plc and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd., a subsidiary of a Chinese firm holding a 49% stake. The building, under construction for three years with an estimated value of over two billion baht (approximately £45 million), crumbled seconds after Friday’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar. While other high-rises in Bangkok sustained minimal damage, raising questions about the construction, the SAO building was reduced to rubble.

Adding to the concerns, the girlfriend of a foreman who worked on the 13th floor and is feared trapped in the rubble, reported that he had expressed worries about the substandard quality of construction materials used in the project. Pairin Chemtork told NDTV that her boyfriend, who started working just days before the collapse, had even identified a faulty pillar.

The incident has prompted a full-scale investigation. Four Chinese nationals were detained on Sunday for illegally entering the site and attempting to remove 32 files of documents. Police Major General Nopasin Poolswat stated that the men were apprehended for violating the disaster zone restrictions imposed by the Bangkok Governor following the earthquake. While Bangkok police acknowledge the Chinese company’s involvement in the construction, they emphasize the need for a thorough investigation to avoid premature conclusions. The search for survivors continues amidst the wreckage.

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