Bangkok Building Collapse Sets Unwanted World Records

[actonion]

17 hours ago, JoePai said:

That will prove Thailand is No. 1 in something    🤣

I remember  a few years ago when they were very happy  being near top of the list for being  the worse drivers in the world

[Moonlover]

18 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Wonder if the tsunami early warning system is still working?

 

1 hour ago, tomazbodner said:

A few years ago it was written that most of the sensors were offline, so I guess either not, or not very well.

 

According to Bangkok post, all is well. 

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/2925086/warning-system-still-robust-20-years-after-tsunami

[actonion]

It's" not only" Building safety standards that Thailand  sets unwanted safety records in, but nothing is ever done about those. Health & safety does not  exist

[Nid_Noi]

39 minutes ago, StandardIssue said:

 

Building safety records? Who needs them! There are never any accidents at construction sites in Thailand. Safety records are impeccable!   

 

But seriously,  Just to show how seriously safety is taken have a look  the first two signs. They haven't even bothered to hide the fact they are not reporting accidents. Look at how someone has just rearranged the numbers on the first sign. They didn't even bother to use new numbers. It's a laughable how lax safety standards are. Half the Cambodian, Lao workers do not even have proper footwear.

99% of Burmese workers have flip flops.

[thongplay]

But the construction work wasn't finished. Concrete takes about 30 days to reach full strength. So if there were, say, three stories concrete poured in the last month it would have been in a very weak condition.

 

And buildings that are 'earthquake resistant' applies to completely built buildings - it cannot apply to buildings still under construction as is the case here.

 

A question. Apart from myself why is no one talking about this?

 

 

[Cat Boy]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

International experts confirmed the building set disconcerting records.

What exactly are these "disconcerting records" and who are these "International experts".

One building collapsed catastrophically. Already negligence has been found in the use of sub-standard rebar. Its abundantly clear there was corruption on the part of the contstruction. The irony of the lack of oversight and this being a building intended to house audit administration is lost on no one.

Bangkok, a city of 7.5 million people, but realistically 15 million truth be told, survived virtually unscathed. 

In other cities, in other countries, tens of thousands die, recall the school collapses in Türkiye a few years ago, or in Bangladesh, Rana Plaza that collapsed killing over a thousand and injuring countless many more, and there was no earthquake.

Yes, enforcement needs to be improved, and standards upgraded, but the supposition that this building's collapse really owing to faulty construction (probably would have collapsed in time regardless) makes Thailand some kind of pariah state without any building standards just waiting for Armageddon, it the very height of click-bait absurdity.

[connda]

18 hours ago, JoePai said:

That will prove Thailand is No. 1 in something    🤣

The Number 1 in Road Deaths per year and The Number 1 Worst Air In The World are always good fall-backs.

[bfc1980]

The government must be so proud to receive one of these. 

[Guderian]

Over the last two decades, we've had a tsunami disaster and now an earthquake disaster, it's good job the country doesn't have any active volcanoes!

[kimothai]

"Made in China". Nuff said! 

[Card]

18 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Wonder if the tsunami early warning system is still working?

I heard they can't find any replacement transistors for it.

[Bruce Aussie]

1 hour ago, JJ-Thailand said:

China was involved in the supply of material and construction of the building. Bambu sticks?

Bamboo would have been stronger probably

[AhFarangJa]

2 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

This is not limited to this earthquake tragedy but all accidents.

Safety rules should be learned from kindergarten onwards 

Wherever you look, always lacks in safety. 

 

So true. Slightly off topic, but I have just purchased two new smoke detectors for the house, 520 Baht the pair, 10 year lifespan. The old ones were past their 10 year cycle. When they were delivered the Wife asked why change them, we never used the old ones.......they just sat there on the wall doing nothing.........I went out for a walk, figured it was the safest option. However, it is the lack of safety awareness that still confounds me after 30 years.

[black tabby12345]

19 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Wonder if the tsunami early warning system is still working?

 

I recently read some article about it(2 of the warning tower vanished).

One MP in Phuket, questioned the govt.

And the provincial governor answered that that these things are now under repair, and will be put back to its location after maintenance works are over.

 

Bangkok Post - MP demands explanation over tsunami warning towers

 

 

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, thongplay said:

But the construction work wasn't finished. Concrete takes about 30 days to reach full strength. So if there were, say, three stories concrete poured in the last month it would have been in a very weak condition.

 

And buildings that are 'earthquake resistant' applies to completely built buildings - it cannot apply to buildings still under construction as is the case here.

 

A question. Apart from myself why is no one talking about this?

 

 

Yes I agree with and it has been mentioned before, right from the day it happened in fact. But folks are all too busy playing the 'blame the Thai' game to take any notice. 

 

If you watch the video in the link at 1:12, it is quite clear that the collapse started at the top of the building, just as you have suggested.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/28/world/video/bangkok-building-collapse-myanmar-earthquake-digvid

[JonnyF]

It was certainly pretty shocking to see it go down like that.

 

Reminded me of building 7 collpasing into it's own footprint in 5 seconds after suffering a few small localized fires. 

[Presnock]

2 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

This is not limited to this earthquake tragedy but all accidents.

Safety rules should be learned from kindergarten onwards 

Wherever you look, always lacks in safety. 

 

Yeah wonder since they have boy scouts and girl scouts and I thought the motto was "be Prepared" which means you must study the past and present to be prepared for whatever but guess that is sorta like "preventive maintenance" that we see the misunderstanding of so oftern IMHO

[Hawaiian]

1 hour ago, thongplay said:

But the construction work wasn't finished. Concrete takes about 30 days to reach full strength. So if there were, say, three stories concrete poured in the last month it would have been in a very weak condition.

 

And buildings that are 'earthquake resistant' applies to completely built buildings - it cannot apply to buildings still under construction as is the case here.

 

A question. Apart from myself why is no one talking about this?

 

 

The structure was "topped off" about a year ago.  That is more than sufficient time for the concrete to cure.

[samtam]

36 minutes ago, Bruce Aussie said:

Bamboo would have been stronger probably

 

Much used in high rise construction in Hong Kong for decades, without any serious incidents. Only now are they replacing bamboo with metal frames....well for scaffolding, not construction.

 

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=28d2bf2905880196&rlz=1C1CHBF_enTH851TH851&sxsrf=AHTn8zoQQtPvMZ4ES6ViTZrP1hqvN_pDfA:1743741201237&q=bamboo+scaffolding+hong+kong&udm=2&fbs=ABzOT_CWdhQLP1FcmU5B0fn3xuWpA-dk4wpBWOGsoR7DG5zJBiLrs8IwWnU6ikyw0GotCtOu3QT06Rn9a8zLE-yMqYXpLjElciQyWyY08d71FOIfCyUWqVOK8i7ivIE80BH8IzCRO_5hTQGWBuw--kJICixsVQBCJuRkcfZXeCu8ImlA2pYBc8BtJuKciJxWfGL7R7EER6KIoTyBmNHpSQcjDF7B6aKlng&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiS7YSXxr2MAxXuwzgGHb3TG5oQtKgLegQIExAB&biw=1229&bih=594&dpr=1.56

[Hawaiian]

8 minutes ago, samtam said:

 

Much used in high rise construction in Hong Kong for decades, without any serious incidents. Only now are they replacing bamboo with metal frames.

Bamboo scaffolding and not used as concrete reinforcing.

[Peterphuket]

1 hour ago, thongplay said:

But the construction work wasn't finished. Concrete takes about 30 days to reach full strength. So if there were, say, three stories concrete poured in the last month it would have been in a very weak condition.

 

And buildings that are 'earthquake resistant' applies to completely built buildings - it cannot apply to buildings still under construction as is the case here.

 

A question. Apart from myself why is no one talking about this?

 

 

There was already someone yesterday who explained this in detail, so yes, in this you are not alone, and I 100% agree with you that this is an important detail that no one else has commented on.

[samtam]

2 minutes ago, Hawaiian said:

Bamboo scaffolding and not used as concrete reinforcing.

 

Yes, I just corrected that in my post.

[trainman34014]

''To be Number 1 ''.    They just love to be best (worst) in every field.   You can't fix stupid.

[Wilhelm Klein]

The Thai way of life. This is why Farangs love the country and come in throngs; they enjoy the easiness, they are allowed to complain and return to participate in the daily 'mai pen rai' which they can't experience any more at home.

[phetphet]

Soon due to be the hub of earthquake records.

[Patong2021]

3 hours ago, Paul Henry said:

Corrupt Thai official should be treated the same as they do in China. Send the family a bill for the cost of the bullet.

 

That could cause  problems. I fear that the national legislature would be emptied and that the  senior ranks of the military and police would be stripped.

[Dont confuse me]

The 'kick backs' play a part in everything over here, the quality of cement,the amount and quality of the rebar etc are reduced because the greedy people overseeing construction continuously wanting a larger amount of tea money.

[Aussie999]

4 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

A few years ago it was written that most of the sensors were offline, so I guess either not, or not very well.

And when was the last time anyone hurt it tested, I can remember when many of the amplifiers, speaks, and connects were faulty, or even missing.

[dinsdale]

2 hours ago, thongplay said:

But the construction work wasn't finished. Concrete takes about 30 days to reach full strength. So if there were, say, three stories concrete poured in the last month it would have been in a very weak condition.

 

And buildings that are 'earthquake resistant' applies to completely built buildings - it cannot apply to buildings still under construction as is the case here.

 

A question. Apart from myself why is no one talking about this?

 

 

You're wrong that's why no-one's talking about it. The building was topped off a year ago. What was there should have survived. It was structurally complete.

[Beat666]

21 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Wonder if the tsunami early warning system is still working?

Yes it is, but slightly different. From now on, they will use Iron Maiden`s " Run to the Hills" song