BANGKOK, Thailand. Seventeen individuals, including one of Thailand’s most prominent construction magnates, surrendered to police on Friday in connection with the deadly collapse of a government high-rise building under construction in Bangkok following the March 28 earthquake.
Premchai Karnasuta, president of Italian-Thai Development Co., the lead Thai contractor for the project, was among those charged with professional negligence causing death, a felony under Thai law. The list of accused also includes designers and engineers tied to the project, according to Bangkok Deputy Police Chief Noppasin Poonsawat.
The accused have publicly denied any wrongdoing.
The collapse of the structure, intended to be the new headquarters for Thailand’s State Audit Office, claimed the lives of 92 individuals, with a few others still unaccounted for. It remains the only major building collapse in Thailand triggered by the powerful earthquake centered in neighboring Myanmar.
Speaking at a press briefing, Deputy Chief Noppasin said evidence gathered from expert assessments indicated that the building plan failed to meet safety standards and construction codes. He added that the project revealed “structural flaws in the core lift shaft and substandard concrete and steel,” as initially reported by The Bangkok Post.
The incident has sparked daily headlines in Thai media, uncovering allegations of irregular documentation and questionable oversight. Reports have also scrutinized the role of the project’s joint venture partner, China Railway No. 10, which has been involved in several international infrastructure developments.
On Thursday, a Thai Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for all 17 suspects. Fifteen of them turned themselves in at a Bangkok police station on Friday morning, with the remaining two expected to follow later in the day.
The tragic collapse has reignited national concerns about building safety standards and corporate accountability, particularly in government-backed construction projects. Investigations are ongoing.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
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