MPB to take legal action against 17 suspects over SAO building collapse

MPB Commissioner, Police Lieutenant General Siam Boonsom, on Thursday appointed an investigation committee to look into the case. Preliminary examination of documentary and witness evidence has revealed that the building's design did not comply with ministerial regulations or industry standards.

Investigators found that the lift shaft wall was not positioned at the building’s centre but rather near the rear edge. This misalignment caused the structure’s centre of torsion to shift away from its geometric centre. 

As a result, when the earthquake struck and the building swayed, both the lift shaft wall and the foundational columns collapsed almost simultaneously, causing the entire structure to plummet vertically at high speed.

Cement samples taken from the rubble failed to meet the required kilogram per square centimetre (KSC) standard, and an inspection of steel reinforcements revealed some deviations from the approved construction plans.

The Office of Police Forensic Science has confirmed that the signature of Somkiat Chusaengsuk — the professional engineer whose name was fraudulently used on official documents — does not match his verified handwriting, indicating that his signature was forged.

Based on the above evidence, the investigation committee has divided the offenders responsible for the collapse of the SAO building into three groups, as follows:

Group 1: design companies

This group includes Forum Architect and Meinhardt (Thailand), who entered into a contract with the SAO. One individual was authorised to legally bind the company, and five structural engineers signed off on the design plans. In total, six individuals are identified as offenders in this group.

Group 2: construction supervision contractors

This includes PKW Joint Venture, with one individual held personally responsible as the authorised signatory. The three involved companies—PN Synchronize, KP Consultants and Management, and W and Associates Consultants—had collectively agreed to be jointly and severally liable to the client in all circumstances. A total of five individuals from this group are identified as offenders.

Group 3: construction contractors

This group consists of Italian-Thai Development, China Railway Number 10 (Thailand), and the authorised representative of the ITD-CREC Joint Venture. Altogether, six individuals from this group are held responsible.

In total, 17 individuals are facing legal proceedings. Reports indicate that among them is ITD president Premchai Karnasuta, the largest shareholder in the company with an 11.90% stake.

The incident resulted in a significant loss of life, with 89 confirmed fatalities, one person seriously injured, eight others sustaining minor injuries, and 11 still reported missing.

As a result, a formal complaint has been filed against all 17 suspects, both as corporate entities and as individuals. They are accused of professional negligence in design, supervision, or construction work, leading to death and injuries—offences under Sections 227 and 238 of the Thai Penal Code.