PUBLISHED: 6 Apr 2025 at 04: 38
The committee looking into the State Audit Office ( SAO ) building collapse will explore multiple factors, including subpar materials and building design, says Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
Mr Anutin, who is also the chairman of the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Command, just met the committee to assess progress of the research.
He said on March 30 that the council would take seven times to come up with initial results.
Following the recent conference, Mr Anutin said that while the one-week timeframe allowed for the primary cause to be identified, continued treatment and recovery operations at the page had hampered the whole entry needed for collecting material samples.
He said the initial research pointed to problems related to the house’s style, which will presently undergo deeper research.
Mr Anutin said houses in Thailand must meet higher seismic and sound requirements incorporated in their architectural design, so they can resist earthquakes such as those originating from Myanmar.
A detailed engineering analysis is underway and may take months to complete, he said.
Drawing on the panel’s work, the minister also raised concerns about the SAO building’s lift shaft, which was located at the rear rather than the centre of the construction site.
He said the location may have caused torsion forces. Whether the safety factor used in the design was adequate will need to be reviewed, he said.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy responded to public concerns over the involvement of China Railway No 10 ( Thailand ), a contractor in the SAO building’s construction.
Some critics suspect sub-standard materials may have been used in the work.
The embassy, while affirming its support for a thorough and fair probe into the firm, rejects “blanket, false accusations against Chinese companies operating in Thailand”.
Deputy government spokesman Karom Phonphonklang said 59 provinces were affected by the recent earthquake, with 179 businesses feeling some impact.
He said the collapse has so far left 15 people dead and nine others injured, with 79 others still missing.