Thai business magnate and Chinese corporation face charges for the fatal collapse of a building in Bangkok
In a significant development, Thailand's Office of the Attorney General has formally indicted 23 individuals and companies, including Premchai Karnasuta, former president of Italian-Thai Development Plc, and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd, for their roles in the collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok on March 28, 2025. The collapse occurred during a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in neighboring Myanmar [1][2][3][4][5].
The indictments come with multiple charges, primarily professional negligence, forgery and use of forged documents, and violations of the Building Control Act of 1979 and the Public Procurement and Asset Management Act of 2017. The building was found to have design and structural flaws, failing to meet engineering safety standards [1][2][3][5].
Premchai Karnasuta and China Railway Number 10's local executive Zhang Chuanling (also referred to as Xuan Ling-jang) have been specifically named among those indicted [3][4]. All suspects are currently in custody without bail. Beyond criminal charges, the National Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating possible state official irregularities related to bidding and procurement for the project [1].
The collapse of the building, which was 30% complete at the time, caused 92 confirmed deaths and is one of Thailand’s deadliest structural failures. The building was the only one to collapse in Thailand from this particular earthquake, with investigations highlighting serious deviations from approved design and construction standards [2][3].
The construction of the SAO building was a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd [6]. Lawyers for China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd could not be reached for comment regarding the new charges, and Italian-Thai Development did not respond to Reuters' request for comment [6].
When they were arrested in May, Premchai Karnasuta and the others denied all charges against them [7]. The indictments include charges of breaching construction regulations and causing death through negligence [7]. Some suspects have been charged with forging engineering documents [1][2][3].
This is a developing story and more updates will follow as more information becomes available.
[1] Reuters, "Thai officials indicted over state audit building collapse", 2025-09-23. [2] Bangkok Post, "23 charged over SAO building collapse", 2025-09-23. [3] Nation Thailand, "23 charged over SAO building collapse", 2025-09-23. [4] The Nation, "Thai government officials indicted over SAO building collapse", 2025-09-23. [5] The Straits Times, "Thai government officials indicted over SAO building collapse", 2025-09-23. [6] Reuters, "No comment from China Railway Number 10 on SAO building collapse indictments", 2025-09-23. [7] Reuters, "23 charged over SAO building collapse, including former Italian-Thai Development president", 2025-09-23.
In the aftermath of the indictments, the case surrounding the SAO building collapse has transcended general-news headlines, encroaching upon Thailand's politics and crime-and-justice sectors. The National Anti-Corruption Commission is conducting a thorough investigation of potential state official irregularities related to the project's bidding and procurement process.
