Tycoon, engineers face arrest in Bangkok building collapse scandal
17 are wanted in connection with the SAO building accident triggered by the earthquake in March
A high-stakes manhunt is underway after Thai police issued arrest warrants for 17 people linked to the fatal collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok—a disaster that has rocked the nation’s construction industry and could land several top executives behind bars.
At the centre of the storm is prominent businessman Premchai Karnasuta, chairman of Italian-Thai Development, who was scheduled to surrender to the police at 9am today, May 16, at Bang Sue Police Station. Police have confirmed that Premchai, alongside directors, engineers, and representatives from at least seven major firms, faces charges of gross negligence causing death—an offence that carries a potential life sentence under the Thai Criminal Code.
“This is a significant development,” said Poicel Major General Somkuan Phuengsap, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB), who is leading the investigation. “We have solid evidence presented to the Criminal Court, which approved all 17 arrest warrants.”
The accused are divided into three major groups: design companies, construction supervisors, and the contractors themselves. Among the design firms are Forum Architect Co., Ltd. and Meinhardt (Thailand) Ltd., with five structural engineers accused of signing off on flawed blueprints. The PKW Joint Venture, responsible for construction supervision, is also implicated, along with its key personnel.
In addition to Italian-Thai Development, Chinese firm China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Co., Ltd. has also come under fire. Both companies are accused of using substandard construction materials and deviating from approved structural plans.
Investigators found that the building’s lift shaft core was placed off-centre, destabilising the entire structure. When seismic tremors struck, the imbalance reportedly caused the core and base columns to fail simultaneously, triggering the catastrophic vertical collapse.
To make matters worse, forensic testing revealed the cement failed to meet Thailand’s KSC strength standards, and the steel reinforcement didn’t match the specifications in the original design. Authorities also uncovered a forged signature on official documents, reported The Nation.
While some suspects have reached out to arrange their surrender, police have made it clear: anyone found before doing so will be arrested on the spot.
The suspects will face immediate questioning and formal charges, with police expected to oppose bail due to the gravity of the offence and the loss of life involved.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
