China will cooperate in investigating why building under construction in Bangkok collapsed in earthquake

Thai Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul met with Chinese Ambassador Han Zhiqiang and Chinese disaster management experts on March 30 to discuss the incident.

The meeting took place after the building collapsed in the earthquake centered in Mandalay, Myanmar, on the afternoon of March 28. The unfinished building is located in Bangkok's Chatuchak district.

The contract worth more than 1 billion baht for the above building project was awarded to a consortium between Thai company Italian-Thai Development (ITD) and a Chinese enterprise.

During the meeting, Mr. Anutin thanked the Chinese authorities for their support and stressed that the State Audit Office building was more severely affected than other buildings in Bangkok and neighboring provinces. He affirmed that other buildings had only suffered minor damage and that Thai authorities had the situation under control.

“The Ministry of Interior has set up a committee to investigate the incident and will announce the results within seven days, as the building was newly constructed and designed to withstand earthquakes,” he said.

Mr Anutin added that the investigation would look into the responsibilities of the design unit, supervisor and contractor. He also clarified that since the project was state-owned, no building permit was required from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. “If the construction is found to have deviated from the approved design or used substandard materials, those responsible will be dealt with according to the law,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Ambassador to Thailand expressed condolences to the victims of the building collapse and affirmed that the embassy will coordinate with the Thai government in the investigation.

Mr. Han Chi Cuong said that the contractor has been directed to cooperate with the investigation and expressed confidence that the process will be fair.

According to the Erawan Medical Emergency Center, as of 6 a.m. on March 30, the earthquake that affected many buildings in Bangkok had injured 32 people, killed 17 people and left 83 people missing.

The collapse of the State Audit Office building alone caused 18 injuries and 10 deaths.

Many Bangkok residents are still in a state of panic, fearing that aftershocks may continue. Some people choose to sleep outdoors, setting up tents in parks to spend the night. The Thai capital Bangkok is located about 1,000 km south of the epicenter in Myanmar.

Meanwhile, on March 29, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra chaired an emergency meeting to assess the impact and deploy response measures after the earthquake. Prime Minister Paetongtarn directed to immediately improve the public warning system via SMS and develop a mobile television system within 3 months to ensure timely information to the people. At the same time, she requested the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to strengthen coordination to quickly update traffic conditions, road closures and alternative routes after natural disasters.

To ensure safety in the capital Bangkok, the Thai government is urgently searching for missing people, reviewing high-rise building permits, assessing safety standards, urban planning and building codes. Prime Minister Paetongtarn also called on the whole country to join hands to repair houses, inspect infrastructure and hotels to ensure safety for tourists.