Seventy officials named in Bangkok tower 7.7-magnitude earthquake collapse scandal
DSI says information on bidding collusion forwarded to anti-graft agency
About 70 state officials have been implicated in bidding collusion linked to the doomed State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said on Wednesday.
The suspects include former and current SAO executives, as well as members of 10 committees involved in the design, construction and inspection of the building, said Pol Capt Surawoot Rungsai, the DSI deputy secretary-general.
Eighty-nine workers were killed and seven are still missing at the site of the collapse, which occurred during the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that originated in Myanmar on March 28, 2025. The 2.1-billion-baht, 30-storey building was the only high-rise in the capital to topple during the quake.
The executives under scrutiny by the DSI are accused of manipulating the bidding process to favour certain bidders who ultimately secured contracts for design, construction and inspection, Pol Capt Surawoot said.
The terms of reference for the bidding were altered to benefit a company within the PKW joint venture — comprising PN Synchronize, KP Consultants and Management, and W and Associates Consultants — allowing it to qualify for the tender, he added.
However, whether the bidding process was deliberately rigged to ensure PKW’s success remains to be determined by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). The DSI concluded its investigation on March 22 and forwarded the findings to the NACC, Pol Capt Surawoot said.
Only the NACC has the authority to investigate misconduct allegations against the former and current state officials implicated in the case, he said.
Pol Capt Surawoot also confirmed media reports that at least two individuals close to the SAO had provided crucial information to investigators. When asked whether the incumbent Auditor-General, Monthien Charoenpol, was implicated or named, Pol Capt Surawoot simply replied, “All the names are in there”.
During its investigation, the DSI raided the headquarters of PKW three times, collecting 121 boxes of documents. The evidence indicated construction inspections had never been conducted, which was cited as a key factor behind the building’s collapse, he said.
The DSI last month submitted a case file to prosecutors in another investigation involving the use of nominees by China Railway No.10 (Thailand) Co Ltd, one of the contractors for the building.
It also emerged this week that suspicions about irregularities in connection with the project go all the way back to 2009 when the original design contract was being reviewed.
The NACC last year found grounds for charges against former auditor-general Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka and others in connection with the project. The agency has submitted its report to prosecutors.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3041840/70-officials-named-in-bangkok-tower-collapse-scandal
