Thai authorities have arrested the Chinese executive of the firm responsible for the construction of a 33-story high-rise in Bangkok that collapsed following a deadly earthquake in Myanmar on March 28. The collapse tragically claimed the lives of dozens of workers. The under-construction building, part of a project for Thailand’s State Audit Office (SAO), was a joint venture between a prominent Thai construction firm and a Chinese state-owned company’s local subsidiary.
Investigation into Collapse Ordered
Following the disaster, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, ordered a full investigation to determine the cause of the collapse. A team of experienced engineers from the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning, along with other trusted specialists, was put together for the inquiry.
“Thailand will quickly find out why the building collapsed. It was just built and should have been designed to withstand earthquakes,” said Charnvirakul. He also highlighted that the earthquake, which had a seismic magnitude of 7.8, did not lead to the collapse of any other buildings, emphasizing that over 95% of structures withstood the tremors. “The collapse happened only to the State Audit building. This building was newly constructed. So, it should have endured an earthquake,” he added.
Chinese Executive Arrested for Breaching Foreign Business Act
The arrest of the Chinese executive, identified as Zhang Chuanling, was ordered by a Thai court for breaching the Foreign Business Act. Zhang, who holds a 49% stake in the construction firm, was arrested along with three Thai nationals. The three Thai nationals were allegedly holding shares for other foreign independents, violating the Foreign Business Act, which prohibits foreigners from owning more than 49% of a company.
Thai Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong confirmed that there was evidence supporting these claims. “We have evidence… that the three Thais were holding shares for other foreign independents,” he stated.
Ongoing Investigations into Other Violations
In addition to the arrest, several other investigations related to the collapse are ongoing. Minister Sodsong revealed that the authorities are looking into the possibility of bid rigging and the forgery of engineers’ signatures, further complicating the case.
