Chinese Men Caught Removing Documents from Collapsed Building in Bangkok

[Sigmund]

The bad quality of construction materials, the flagrant dishonesty of the building contractors is a sort of national institution in Thaiand. Be it with the crooked chinese builders or regular building contractors for private homes or condos - it may not be an exageration to claim that out of 100 crooked contractors they would be only say 20 honest ones. Ask any home owner in areas like Phuket or Hua Hin on how the building contractors openly cheat with poor grade materials, unqualified labour, unfinished jobs, over charging foreigners non respect of basic drying protocols of cement etc.

[MikeandDow]

7 minutes ago, Rob Browder said:

While poor-design is certainly to be suspected and studied - for those in older buildings, keep in mind:
Concrete hardens over time - not "all at once."  Years later, it is still getting harder every year.  Therefore, a 2+ year-old building is significantly stronger than this one, even if built with similar flaws in design.  Damage has been reported in older-buildings, but they did not collapse.

 

My first guess, was that it is possible they were rushing - adding new pours, before previous ones had cured enough to support the weight added.  It is also possible that pours which should have been contiguous were not.  My next question would be the quality of the steel rebar.  Of course, it could come down to simply a poorly engineered structural-design.

 

https://x.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1906662052925714514

 

This building was structurally completed april 24   the concrete was over a year cured 

[Rob Browder]

6 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

 

https://x.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1906662052925714514

 

This building was structurally completed april 24   the concrete was over a year cured 

Ok - so that isn't it - my first guess doesn't fit.  But there is a big clue in that X-post:

 

The steel used in the construction of the collapsed State Audit Office building in Chatuchak came from Sin Ker Yuan, a company which was charged in January for producing substandard steel.

 

Previous investigation by the Ministry of Industry revealed that the rebar produced by the company, located in Ban Khai District, Rayong, did not meet required standards, particularly affecting its strength.

[MikeandDow]

1 minute ago, Rob Browder said:

Ok - so that isn't it - my first guess doesn't fit.  But there is a big clue in that X-post:

 

The steel used in the construction of the collapsed State Audit Office building in Chatuchak came from Sin Ker Yuan, a company which was charged in January for producing substandard steel.

 

Previous investigation by the Ministry of Industry revealed that the rebar produced by the company, located in Ban Khai District, Rayong, did not meet required standards, particularly affecting its strength.

lots of clues    design  is not recommend for quake nor alluvial soil,   rebar not adhering to concrete look at the rubble photos bear rebar shown, suspect coruption in the cement not 56mpa used, this is the recommend strength for high rise towers, this project did not have a chance doomed to failure

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, thaichiro said:

So did the police keep the files for evidence, or just let them take it after showing their “credentials”?

 

The news reports said the Thai police confiscated the documents, but let the 4 or 5 Chinese walk out after being interviewed, pending potential further legal proceedings on the charges that were filed against them.

 

Call me skeptical, but I'd wager the legal case against them will never meaningfully be pursued. China wouldn't like it.

 

"Chinese ambassador to Bangkok Han Zhiqiang brought a Chinese expert in tunnel collapse and earthquakes from the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management to meet Mr Anutin on Sunday.

 

After the meeting, the interior minister said the Chinese expert observed the collapse site."

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2991159/7-day-deadline-for-probe-into-chinese-built-high-rise-collapse

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

From another post 

 

https://x.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1906662052925714514

 

So the steel subcontractor here was another defacto Chinese company operating in Thailand (Rayong), and supplying the other Chinese company that was the defacto main builder of the collapsed high-rise:

 

"Sin Ker Yuan's directors, Jianqi Chen, Su Longchen, and Sompan Pankaeo, were set to be charged for violations related to producing products that do not meet standards"

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

FWIW, in reading other materials already posted elsewhere here, it sounds like the design used by the Chinese company developer for the State Audit building was an "unconventional" one, to say the least. It sounds like the builder was trying to show some kind of proof of concept construction method that obviously failed spectacularly.

 

Via Google Translate:

 

Thailand's new audit office building main structure successfully capped

China Railway Ten Bureau Group 2024-04-03

 

"The main building of the new audit office building is 137 meters high, and the structure is in the form of "core cylinder + beamless floor". The core cylinder adopts the slide mold construction technology, the beamless floor plate adopts the lifting mold installation process, and the outer frame adopts the climbing construction process. In order to ensure the quality of super-high-level concrete, a project technical research group was established at the beginning of the start to study key technologies.

 

Slip mode construction technology

The slider construction technology uses the slider device to slide the 1.2-meter-high tool-type template along the concrete surface, controlling the thickness of each layer of concrete not exceeding 25 cm, and achieving an effective slide of the template. In the process of sliding, the measurement correction is done, and the horizontal deviation of the slide mode working platform is controlled within 1 cm. After the concrete pouring is completed, a professional care agent is used for smear and maintenance. This technology realizes the scientific control of the work of template slippage, system installation, and concrete pouring in the construction of the slider.

...

Climbing construction process

The outer frame adopts fully automatic attached lifting scaffolding for overall improvement, with fast construction speed, high safety performance and a large amount of turnover materials.

https://archive.ph/0NVlV

[greeneking]

4 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

already done a bit reseach into that  the chinse company CREC has to have a thai nominee  to be registerd and work in Thailand  how true is this i have to get betterconfirmation  but the old devil himself  Thaskin 

 

Construction: Budget of 2,560 million baht ($75.4 million), contracted to ITD-CREC (Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited) joint venture with China Railway for 2,136 million baht ($62.9 million), below the median price. Payments of 966.80 million baht ($28.5 million) have already been disbursed

 I wish Thailand had public enquiries would like to see them squirm

 

Glad to see this... I had seen it before , but thought I might have got it wrong.  Won't the press also think it is very important and make some follow ups?

Bangkok Post tomorrow?

[DonniePeverley]

They'll make a movie about it in 30 years time. For now, Thailand can't do anything . 

[Hellfire]

A slightly stronger earthquake would completely destroy this city.

[Rolo89]

1 hour ago, Hellfire said:

A slightly stronger earthquake would completely destroy this city.

Or the same earthquake 1000km miles away during the monsoon with the soft soil wet could distroy it.

 

Tokyo was always called the city waiting to die, however that can withstand long powerful earthquake. Bangkok could be destroyed by a short one far away.

[wavodavo]

21 hours ago, Sir Dude said:

The usual dodgy as a 15 baht note CCP stooges trying the normal cover-up MO. Who would trust a Chinese company to do anything right without cutting corners, using sub-par materials, then pocketing the different in corruption? It is so ingrained into their culture that it can be assumed to be the case, doesn't even need investigating. The sheer nerve they have knows no bounds and they just don't care if anyone loses everything or gets killed, means nothing.

You are right I saw on youtube a video of poorly constructed newly  built  high rise buildings , overpasses and bridges etc. that have collapsed in China.

[henryford1958]

Maybe they should get the State Audit Office to do an audit on the payments for the building oops wrong one.

[MikeandDow]

Lots of pigs at the trough on this project  not only from china but thailand to ?? and hiso!!    but yet again what will happen ! NOTHING!!!

[Hawaiian]

1 hour ago, wavodavo said:

You are right I saw on youtube a video of poorly constructed newly  built  high rise buildings , overpasses and bridges etc. that have collapsed in China.

Since they have no qualms about these corrupt practices at home in China, then its obvious this goes on outside the country.  Money is their god.

[Hawaiian]

5 hours ago, Rolo89 said:

Or the same earthquake 1000km miles away during the monsoon with the soft soil wet could distroy it.

 

Tokyo was always called the city waiting to die, however that can withstand long powerful earthquake. Bangkok could be destroyed by a short one far away.

Unfortunately, it is just a matter of time.  All the men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

[watchcat]

On 3/31/2025 at 1:00 AM, webfact said:

In an eye-opening turn of events, four Chinese nationals were apprehended attempting to smuggle vital files from the wreckage of the collapsed State Audit Office building in Bangkok's Chatuchak district.

 

Are they jailed already?

[AustinRacing]

14 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

On Sunday, Bangkok Metropolitan Police Major General Noppasin Poonsawat, the deputy commissioner of the force, was quoted by the Bangkok Post as saying officers had questioned four Chinese men who were found removing 32 files from containers behind the collapsed building. The men reportedly had work permits for the site and were employed by a company under the auspices of the Italian-Thai Development firm, Noppasin said.

Noppasin was quoted by the Post as saying the files contained documents with information about contractors and sub-contractors on the project, and that the police had seized the files and then released the Chinese men after questioning.

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/thailand-earthquake-myanmar-deaths-bangkok-building-collapse-investigation/

What’s your point? 

[DUNROAMIN]

Trying to hide the evidence of TOFU construction.

[SAFETY FIRST]

[NoDisplayName]

3 hours ago, AustinRacing said:

What’s your point? 

 

Other posters were implying they were agents of XI sent to destroy evidence of CCP overlords evilness.  But they were merely employees of Ital-thai preserving documents that would likely be destroyed during cleanup. 

 

Dunno, maybe they needed some employee/work roster files to pay salaries or benefits to deceased or injured workers.  They may have had police permission to enter but not remove files.

 

You think the companies involved would store vital documentation ON SITE that would show negligence?  They're supposed to be corrupt, not stupid.

[MikeandDow]

8 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Other posters were implying they were agents of XI sent to destroy evidence of CCP overlords evilness.  But they were merely employees of Ital-thai preserving documents that would likely be destroyed during cleanup. 

 

Dunno, maybe they needed some employee/work roster files to pay salaries or benefits to deceased or injured workers.  They may have had police permission to enter but not remove files.

 

You think the companies involved would store vital documentation ON SITE that would show negligence?  They're supposed to be corrupt, not stupid.

You have never worked on a project in construction  All documentation is kept on site it is used daily  NCR are kept on site as they are being worked on daily to fix nonconforming items  these are the documents that are used in litigation and arbitration RFI and NCRs will show negligence

They DID not have permission to enter the site which has been reported in several news articals

have read a lot of poster but have not seen anything about posters  implying they were agents of XI sent to destroy evidence will have to say BS on that one !!   all in all post just rubbish

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 hours ago, watchcat said:

 

Are they jailed already?

 

Let go by Thai police pending further/future proceedings (ya right....) on the legal case that was filed against them.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, NoDisplayName said:

But they were merely employees of Ital-thai preserving documents that would likely be destroyed during cleanup. 

 

No, they were not employees of IT, at least not directly.

 

They apparently were employees of one of the Chinese companies involved in the project. I don't believe any of the news reports have named which one exactly. But presumably they were from the JV partner China Railway....

 

[MikeandDow]

54 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

No, they were not employees of IT, at least not directly.

 

They apparently were employees of one of the Chinese companies involved in the project. I don't believe any of the news reports have named which one exactly. But presumably they were from the JV partner China Railway....

 

correct they were employed by the jv china railways  you dont do this unless you have something to hide

[AustinRacing]

3 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Other posters were implying they were agents of XI sent to destroy evidence of CCP overlords evilness.  But they were merely employees of Ital-thai preserving documents that would likely be destroyed during cleanup. 

 

Dunno, maybe they needed some employee/work roster files to pay salaries or benefits to deceased or injured workers.  They may have had police permission to enter but not remove files.

 

You think the companies involved would store vital documentation ON SITE that would show negligence?  They're supposed to be corrupt, not stupid.

Maybe had permission to enter? You can’t be serious. 

[MikeandDow]

4 minutes ago, AustinRacing said:

Maybe had permission to enter? You can’t be serious. 

They DID NOT have permission to enter the site, been reported in the news several times

[paul1804]

Chinese standards & workmanship, are you surprised!

CREC & CRCG did a few projects in Papua New Guinea when I lived there, same  level of workmanship, 1 of their high rise projects got condemned for substandard materials and failing to install as per stipulated materials! It the same all over the Pacific where they win contracts on price and brown envelopes, cut corners like this latest debacle in Bangkok, so nothing has changed, I guess they fit in quite well in Thailand!!!