China Link Emerges In Probe Into Bangkok Quake High-Rise Collapse, Four Chinese Nationals Arrested

Thai authorities launched an investigation into a Chinese-backed construction firm following the catastrophic collapse of a 33-storey high-rise in Bangkok during Friday’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake in central Myanmar. Officials confirmed 17 deaths due to building collapse, with 32 injured and 83 still missing — most of them construction workers.

While Bangkok’s skyline is filled with several high-rise developments, no other structures sustained similar damage during the earthquake. The collapse has raised urgent concerns about the building’s structural integrity. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited the site a day after it collapsed, said that the government will launch a rapid investigation to better understand the disaster.

“I’m appointing the investigating committee. I’ve given them seven days to report back as to what’s going on and what caused the falling down,” The Telegraph quoted Charnvirakul as saying. Four Chinese nationals were arrested for unlawfully removing 32 documents from the collapsed building without permission. The Governor of Bangkok has declared the site a disaster zone, restricting access to authorised personnel only.

According to The Telegraph, the SAO building was developed through a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD) and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd., a subsidiary of China Railway Number 10 Engineering Group Company. The Chinese firm holds a 49 per cent stake, the maximum foreign ownership permitted under Thai law.

The company recorded a net loss of 199.66 million baht, with revenue of 206.25 million baht against expenses totalling 354.95 million bahat. Originally set for completion in 2026, had fallen significantly behind schedule, according to news agency Reuters. Deputy Auditor General Sutthipong Boonnithi has revealed that only 30 per cent of the construction had been completed before its collapse.