Quake-hit Bangkok tower collapse blamed on build, design failures

Name: Search for Myanmar quake survivors continues as officials investigate Thai tower collapse
Uploaded: 2025-06-30T10:17:33.000Z
Duration: 3 min 7 s
Description: Search for Myanmar quake survivors continues as officials investigate Thai tower collapse

The State Audit Office tower was the only structure in the Thai capital to fall, with a China-linked joint venture now facing scrutiny

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Rescuers at the scene of the building collapse in Bangkok following an earthquake in March. Photo: dpa

Bloomberg

Published: 6:17pm, 30 Jun 2025

Thai investigators concluded that flaws in the design and construction methods caused the collapse of a partially built Bangkok building that killed at least 89 people during the earthquake on March 28, according to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

An investigation by a government agency and three universities found that the lift and stairwell walls – key structures meant to absorb shear force – were improperly designed and built, Paetongtarn said at a press briefing on Monday. She added that the quality of steel, concrete and other materials met required standards, disputing earlier reports that substandard steel bars had been used.

“The failure stemmed from deficiencies in both the design and construction methods,” she posted on social media. “In particular, the construction techniques, such as the construction of the lift shaft wall, did not comply with engineering principles and standards.”

The 30-storey building, intended to house Thailand’s State Audit Office, was the only structure in the capital to collapse following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar. Police have filed criminal charges against a prominent Thai construction tycoon and about a dozen others for negligence resulting in the collapse and loss of life.

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Search for Myanmar quake survivors continues as officials investigate Thai tower collapse

The building was being constructed by ITD-CREC, a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development and China Railway Number 10 Thailand. The venture was awarded the 2.14 billion baht (US$65.75 million) contract through competitive bidding in 2020, with construction starting later that year, according to the State Audit Office.