Report Premchai, 14 Others Remanded in Custody Following Fatal Bangkok Building Collapse

[webfact]

President of Italian-Thai Development Co Premchai Karnasuta, on a wheelchair, leaves the Bang Sue police station to a criminal court for a pre-trail detention in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

 

In a dramatic turn of events, the Ratchada Criminal Court on May 16 denied bail and ordered the detention of Premchai Karnasuta, the president of Italian-Thai Development Plc, along with 14 others.

 

These individuals are implicated in the catastrophic collapse of the State Audit building in Bangkok, which occurred during the March 28 earthquake. Although the tragedy claimed the lives of around 92 people, the gravity of the incident extends beyond the casualty figures, sending ripples of fear and concern through the public.

 

The court cited the likelihood of the defendants fleeing as the primary reason for denying their bail plea. Furthermore, it advised that the Thai police still need to question 15 more witnesses as part of an ongoing investigation. Italian-Thai Development Plc, the main contractor of the ill-fated building, now finds itself in the spotlight along with its top executives, designers, and engineers.

 

Of the 17 charged, two suspects successfully postponed their surrender for documentation reasons, set to resolve by May 19. During transport, Premchai was given special arrangements due to his health condition.

 

While the other detainees travelled to court in a van, Premchai was transported separately in a pickup truck, owing to his need for a wheelchair and urinary catheter. This arrangement followed authorities enforcing equal treatment for all defendants, despite Premchai's initial request to use his own vehicle.

 

This legal debacle is not Premchai's first. Back in 2019, he served two and a half years in prison for wildlife offences. These charges followed the discovery of illegal hunting at a sanctuary, involving the carcasses of protected animals like a rare black panther. The scandal over these hunts shocked the nation, further complicating Premchai’s public profile and compounding his legal troubles.

 

As the investigation unfolds, the implications of the building's collapse, both legal and societal, await further clarity. With additional witnesses and reports pending, the ramifications for those implicated remain a focal point of public anticipation. The case currently stands as a stark reminder of the serious repercussions when negligence occurs in major infrastructure projects in Thailand.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Thai Newsroom 2025-05-17

 

 

[ChrisY1]

Wheel chairs are the favored transport here....Thaksin and now Premchai....yes...we feel sorry for you:)

[nausea]

Ah, the wheel chair thing. 

[mfd101]

Seems to have lost weight too. Both literally & metaphorically.

[klauskunkel]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Premchai was transported separately in a pickup truck, owing to his need for a wheelchair and urinary catheter.

He knows there is a vacancy at Police General Hospital, still needs a neck brace though, catheter and wheelchair will get private car only.

[JJ-Thailand]

How about a few weeks in a VIP room at the police hospital.

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Premchai was given special arrangements due to his health condition.

Thaksin's old room ?

[PETERTHEEATER]

Despite the chin sling and his apparent frailty, he retains the mental capacity to make a secret signal with his right hand indicating to his protection team their next action.

 

Transporting him in the back of a police pickup would display him as a figure of importance, his very own 'Popemobile'. Was he facing front or rear?