Crime DSI Arrests Chinese Tycoon Linked to Collapsed Government Building Project, Hunts 3 Thais

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has arrested a prominent Chinese businessman, on 19 April, in connection with an alleged nominee shareholding arrangement linked to the collapsed 30-storey State Audit Office building, which was under construction by China Railway No. 10 (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

 

Mr. Chuanling Zhang, a key shareholder and director of the company, was apprehended at a luxury hotel in Bangkok’s Ratchadaphisek area after being under surveillance for two days. He was taken into custody following the issuance of an arrest warrant by the Criminal Court under Sections 37 and 41 of the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999), which prohibits foreign nationals from using Thai nominees to circumvent business ownership restrictions.

 

 

DSI chief Pol. Lt. Col. Yutthana Praedam revealed that the arrest comes as part of Special Case No. 32/2568, which was opened after an earthquake caused the collapse of the State Audit Office tower during its construction. Investigations uncovered evidence of potential nominee violations, prompting the court to issue arrest warrants for four individuals: Mr. Zhang and three Thai nationals, Mr. Manas Srianan, Mr. Prajoub Sirikhet, and Mr. Sophon Meechai, who are suspected of acting as nominee shareholders.

 

According to company records, China Railway No. 10 (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is a joint venture with Italian-Thai Development PCL and lists 51% Thai ownership, broken down as follows: Mr. Sophon Meechai (40.7997%), Mr. Prajoub Sirikhet (10.2%), and Mr. Manas Srianan (0.0003%). Mr. Zhang holds the remaining 49% as a Chinese national.

 

At the time of his arrest, Mr. Zhang was reportedly surprised by the warrant and requested the presence of an interpreter, who also serves as his legal counsel. He was later escorted to DSI headquarters on Chaeng Watthana Road for further questioning and official booking.

 

Authorities are continuing to search for the three Thai nationals implicated in the case, who are believed to have facilitated the alleged nominee arrangement. The investigation remains ongoing, with further legal proceedings expected.

 

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Matichon.

 

-- 2025-04-20

 

 

 

 

[watchcat]

Scapegoat?

[Tropicalevo]

You had better start filling a brown envelope with cash Mr Zang.

You are going to need a very big one. 

[Yagoda]

This is a very important case to follow if you live in SE Asia and hopefully we will get continual updates without the stupid smarmyness comments we usually get.

 

If I have to tell you why its important, well, you probably are making smarmy comments

[Gottfrid]

38 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

This is a very important case to follow if you live in SE Asia and hopefully we will get continual updates without the stupid smarmyness comments we usually get.

 

If I have to tell you why its important, well, you probably are making smarmy comments

Yeah, or you just can´t explain why you are posting things as usual. Amuse us now. Why do you think it´s important?

[thesetat]

1 hour ago, watchcat said:

Scapegoat?

Scapegoat? Perhaps! But you have to remember the PM said someone will take the responsibility for that buildings failures during the quake. So they will go after anyone for anything related to that incident. It does not really matter though, if he really did use Thai proxies for opening his business, then he deserves to be arrested and charged with a crime. In the meantime, I am certain the DSI will continue to find a way to make more people pay for how the building that collapsed fell so easily and completely. 

[Captain Flack]

Flame post and bickering replies, which are just deflecting off topic have been removed.

[newbee2022]

22 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

 

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has arrested a prominent Chinese businessman, on 19 April, in connection with an alleged nominee shareholding arrangement linked to the collapsed 30-storey State Audit Office building, which was under construction by China Railway No. 10 (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

 

Mr. Chuanling Zhang, a key shareholder and director of the company, was apprehended at a luxury hotel in Bangkok’s Ratchadaphisek area after being under surveillance for two days. He was taken into custody following the issuance of an arrest warrant by the Criminal Court under Sections 37 and 41 of the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999), which prohibits foreign nationals from using Thai nominees to circumvent business ownership restrictions.

 

 

DSI chief Pol. Lt. Col. Yutthana Praedam revealed that the arrest comes as part of Special Case No. 32/2568, which was opened after an earthquake caused the collapse of the State Audit Office tower during its construction. Investigations uncovered evidence of potential nominee violations, prompting the court to issue arrest warrants for four individuals: Mr. Zhang and three Thai nationals, Mr. Manas Srianan, Mr. Prajoub Sirikhet, and Mr. Sophon Meechai, who are suspected of acting as nominee shareholders.

 

According to company records, China Railway No. 10 (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is a joint venture with Italian-Thai Development PCL and lists 51% Thai ownership, broken down as follows: Mr. Sophon Meechai (40.7997%), Mr. Prajoub Sirikhet (10.2%), and Mr. Manas Srianan (0.0003%). Mr. Zhang holds the remaining 49% as a Chinese national.

 

At the time of his arrest, Mr. Zhang was reportedly surprised by the warrant and requested the presence of an interpreter, who also serves as his legal counsel. He was later escorted to DSI headquarters on Chaeng Watthana Road for further questioning and official booking.

 

Authorities are continuing to search for the three Thai nationals implicated in the case, who are believed to have facilitated the alleged nominee arrangement. The investigation remains ongoing, with further legal proceedings expected.

 

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Matichon.

 

-- 2025-04-20

 

 

 

 

Not surprising. There might be more "China gangs" in Thailand, still undisclosed working.

[Gobbler]

They should fairly adjudicate this case and then bury him under the jail. 

 

Oh, that won't happen unless he built the jail.

[1duckyboy]

If he gets bail, confiscate his passport first.

[Muhendis]

22 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

which was under construction by China Railway No. 10 (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Better also have a quick look at the railways they have built 

[Srikcir]

7 minutes ago, 1duckyboy said:

If he gets bail, confiscate his passport first.

I'd be surprised that he has a Thai passport that can be legally confiscated as property of the Kingdom of Thailand. A Chinese passport would be the property of China and theoretically can only be seized by China. But Thai immigration can follow their own ideas of what is internationally legal.

[fanof3d]

22 hours ago, Yagoda said:

This is a very important case to follow if you live in SE Asia and hopefully we will get continual updates without the stupid smarmyness comments we usually get.

 

If I have to tell you why its important, well, you probably are making smarmy comments

 

It's important but will get quickly swept under the rug. Too many Thai hands involved.....

[TheFishman1]

People have no idea how much the Chinese own here in Thailand they set up these front companies to buy property to run businesses besides followers etc. so well-known fact they went after all these Chinese would be so many closed buildings they would be shocked TIT

[jwl53]

I hope as a high profile case, i hope these guys are not allowed to to fill envelopes with billions of bahts, let the courts decide the guilt, because there is guilt amoungst the big boys and the contractors and they serve the justice and punishment the bereaved families deserve

[Yagoda]

5 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

People have no idea how much the Chinese own here in Thailand they set up these front companies to buy property to run businesses besides followers etc. so well-known fact they went after all these Chinese would be so many closed buildings they would be shocked TIT

Nothing like a message

[Colki]

A court can rule that a foreigner surrender his passport. I have a friend who was a witness in a court case and the police held his passport  until the court case was resolved am certain that is illegal.

[jwl53]

25 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

I'd be surprised that he has a Thai passport that can be legally confiscated as property of the Kingdom of Thailand. A Chinese passport would be the property of China and theoretically can only be seized by China. But Thai immigration can follow their own ideas of what is internationally legal.

As I understand it the authorities can sieze any documents as part of a criminal investigation, they will size the passports to stop them fleeing the country

 

21 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Why do you think it´s important?

If you don't know mate no amount of explanation will educate you

[JBChiangRai]

IMHO You can’t have it both ways.

 

If Thais have to own 51% of the company, they have to bear the responsibility that comes with that.

[hotchilli]

I'm more surprised he was still in Thailand, I would have thought anyone from China who was connected to this atrocious building would be long gone.

[howlee101]

I predict a 5000 baht fine along with apologies and the proverbial wai..... and many brown envelopes with millions of baht. To be followed by "after our thorough investigation, it was all a misunderstanding"

[Showtime]

The next step is to identify and go after the thousands of other companies and their "owners" with similar arrangements.

[ujayujay]

23 hours ago, Yagoda said:

This is a very important case to follow if you live in SE Asia and hopefully we will get continual updates without the stupid smarmyness comments we usually get.

 

If I have to tell you why its important, well, you probably are making smarmy comments

Look in the mirror

[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, jwl53 said:

If you don't know mate no amount of explanation will educate you

So, that reply meant that you don´t have a clue.

[JJ-Thailand]

Rich guys will spend five minutes in jail, sent over to a luxury hospital with a bad back and then released with a medical certificate.

[crazykopite]

Got to be a foreigner can’t be a Thai National this guy will be made the scapegoat 

[sandyf]

23 hours ago, Yagoda said:

This is a very important case to follow if you live in SE Asia

Particularly for some western expats in Thailand.

When I first came here, according to some, buying propery using a company with Thai nominee was the more astute way to proceed.

Buying in a family name was perceived as having a screw loose.

I don't know any personally anymore, all sold up and gone home, but must be some still about.

[saintdomingo]

When I first came I was told that buying a property through a company with Thai nominee directors was illegal but common practice. Nobody had been prosecuted or lost the property. That was close to thirty years ago and there have been periodic scares about a crackdown but I am unaware of many if any problems.

[Yagoda]

34 minutes ago, ujayujay said:

Look in the mirror

So you are clueless too.

 

Nice timing on the arrest: When Xi is in Cambodia talking about all the projects they are doing in Cambodia. 

 

Big lessons can come from small actions.

[Captain Flack]

Troll comment removed.