Warrants issued for 17 SAO building construction directors and engineers

The Criminal Court has issued warrants for the arrests of 17 directors and engineers of companies involved in the design, supervision and construction of the collapsed State Audit Office building.


According to Metropolitan Police, the suspects are divided into three groups:


· Companies responsible for the design of the building, including Forum Architect Company and Meinhardt (Thailand) Company. There are six suspects in this group, including one director and five structural engineers.


· Those responsible for the supervision of the construction, including PN Synchronize Company, KP Consultant and Management Company and V and Sahai Consultants Company. This group involves five suspects.


· Those responsible for the construction, including Italian-Thai Development Company and China Railway No 10 (Thailand) Company. There are six suspects in this group.
According to the police, the design of the building was allegedly not in compliance with ministerial regulations and not up to standard, with the lift shaft walls not to be located at the centre of the building, allegedly contributing to the building’s collapse when it was shaken by the earthquake.


The quality of the concrete used in the construction the building was allegedly not to be up to the KSC standards and some of the rebar used was also substandard. The signature of an engineer, Somkiat Chusaengsuk, was also allegedly found to be a forgery.


Police have identified the suspects as:


· Suchart Chutipaphakorn
· Pimon Charoenying
· Thira Wattanasap
· Suphon Akaraareesuk
· Chainarong Siangpraiphan
· Apichart Raksa
· Patiwat Sirithai
· Kritpat Plongkratok
· Pongdet Therdpitakwanich
· Praneet Sang-alangkarn
· Somchai Sapyen
· Premchai Kanasuta
· Nitjaporn Charanachit
· Xuan Ling Chang
· Kriangsak Kawwattana
· Anuwat Kansorn
· Thipat Rattanawongsa

Warrants issued for 17 SAO building construction directors a

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BANGKOK - Mr Premchai Karnasuta, president of Italian-Thai Development (ITD), surrendered to police on May 16 over an arrest warrant linked to the collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building in March.

Accompanied by his personal lawyer, Mr Premchai reported to officers at Bang Sue Police Station after the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB)’s issued arrest warrants for 17 suspects linked to the incident.

The case involves the collapse of a 30-storey building in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district on March 28, triggered by an earthquake, which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries.

The suspects face Penal Code charges for professional negligence in building design, supervision, or construction that resulted in injuries and deaths.
Mr Premchai arrived at the station at 8am in a private van, assisted by close associates who provided a wheelchair.
As he was wheeled into the station, reporters asked whether he admitted guilt, felt concerned or wished to apologise to the public. He remained silent and did not respond to any questions.

Thai construction tycoon surrenders to police over collapse of Bangkok building | The Straits Times

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For those that don't remember:

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17 Oct 2023

Construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta was released from prison on Tuesday, seven weeks before the end of his sentence on Dec 7.


The Department of Corrections said a committee met on Monday to review proposals to commute the sentences of 567 eligible inmates, and 484 were approved. Of the latter, 113 inmates won permission to be released on Tuesday, including Premchai.

The former head of Italian-Thai Development Plc had been serving time in Thong Pha Phum prison in Kanchanaburi for hunting wildlife — including killing a rare black panther, a kalij pheasant and a barking deer — in Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in 2018.

The Department of Corrections said Premchai, 69, qualified for early release because he was suffering from diabetes.

The disease had resulted in some dead tissue around his ankle being removed. To avoid further injury to his ankle, he will not be required to wear an electronic monitoring (EM) ankle bracelet, on condition that he report regularly to department officials during his probation.



Bangkok Post - Panther-slaying tycoon wins early release

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Suspects in SAO building collapse case surrender to Bang Sue police

The Italian-Thai Development Company’s (ITD) executive director Premchai Karnasuta reported to police enquiry officers at Bang Sue police station this morning, to acknowledge charges related to the collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building, as a result of the earthquake in Myanmar on March 28.


Premchai was seated in a wheelchair, after getting out of a car, and was wheeled in by an aide to meet with an enquiry officer in charge of the case.


The ITD executive is among 17 construction directors and engineers charged with negligence in the performance of duties, in the design, construction and supervision of construction of the SAO building, in accordance with Sections 227 and 238 of the Criminal Code, resulting in death and injury.


89 people are confirmed dead, nine injured and 11 remain unaccounted in the disaster.


Kriangsak Kawwattana, another ITD senior executive, also reported to Bang Sue police this morning.


The remaining suspects are expected to follow suit today.


Premchai was sentenced to three years and two months in prison in December 2021, by the Supreme Court, after he was found guilty of poaching in Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province, but he was released after having served only one year and ten months.

Suspects in SAO building collapse case surrender to Bang Sue police Thai PBS World

Fifteen Suspects Arrested and Denied Bail in Bangkok Building Collapse Case

Thai authorities have arrested fifteen individuals, including construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta, in connection with the collapse of a 33-story skyscraper under construction in Bangkok, which killed 92 workers and left seven unaccounted for after a high magnitude earthquake struck in Myanmar on March 28th, 2025.

All fifteen suspects, arrested on Friday, were denied bail and remanded in custody, intensifying scrutiny of Thailand’s construction industry. Notably, Chinese executive Chuanling Zhang, a director at China Railway No. 10 Engineering Group, was not among those arrested today, having been granted bail in April on separate charges related to the same project.

The arrests follow the issuance of arrest warrants by the Criminal Court on Thursday for 17 suspects, charged with professional negligence causing death and violations of building codes as we previously reported here.

The suspects, including engineers, project supervisors, and executives from Italian-Thai Development Co., surrendered at Bang Sue Police Station on Friday morning. Two others are expected to surrender soon. Bangkok Deputy Police Chief Noppasin Poonsawat confirmed that the fifteen denied the charges and requested to submit further evidence. The court, citing the severity of the charges and flight risk concerns, rejected bail requests and ordered all to be held in custody pending further investigation.


The collapsed skyscraper, located on Kamphaeng Phet Road near the Chatuchak Weekend Market, was a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development intended to house Thailand’s State Audit Office. It was the only building in Bangkok to collapse during the earthquake, prompting investigations that revealed substandard steel bars and poor-quality concrete, as reported by the industry ministry. An anti-corruption watchdog had previously flagged the project for irregularities, including cost-cutting measures that compromised safety.

Chuanling Zhang, previously arrested in April for allegedly violating Thai business law by using Thai proxies to control the venture, was released on bail and is not among the fifteen detained today. Premchai Karnasuta, convicted in 2019 for poaching protected wildlife, faces renewed public scrutiny as a lead contractor.


Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered a probe into all China Railway No. 10 projects in Thailand. The Ministry of Labour has disbursed 38 million baht in compensation to victims’ families.


The denial of bail for the fifteen suspects shows the case’s gravity, as Thailand seeks justice for the 92 lives lost and addresses systemic flaws in its construction sector. The investigation is expected to further clarify the roles of all involved, including those like Zhang, who remain under scrutiny despite not being part of today’s arrests.

Many of the suspects are elderly, notes The Pattaya News, over 75, which has led to intense debate on social media around bail and possible home detention. Appeals for bail by family members are expected to continue.

Fifteen Suspects Arrested and Denied Bail in Bangkok Building Collapse Case - The Pattaya News

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Notably, Chinese executive Chuanling Zhang, a director at China Railway No. 10 Engineering Group, was not among those arrested today

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Well I wonder if him and the other unnamed suspect have already fucked off back to chinkystan.

Construction Tycoon Premchai Transferred to Prison Hospital Following Arrest in Bangkok Building Collapse Case

May 17th, 2025: Premchai Karnasuta, the 71-year-old chairman of Italian-Thai Development Plc, has been transferred to a prison hospital shortly after his arrest in connection with the catastrophic collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok.

The 33-storey skyscraper, under construction by the ITD-CREC joint venture, crumbled during a high magnitude earthquake originating in central Myanmar on March 28th, 2025, resulting in 92 deaths, nine injuries, and several missing persons.

Premchai, along with multiple others, including engineers, supervisors, and contractors, surrendered to police on May 16th at Bang Sue Police Station following the issuance of arrest warrants by the Criminal Court. The charges, under Sections 227 and 238 of the Thai Criminal Code, include professional negligence causing death, carrying a potential life sentence. Investigators found that the SAO building’s design violated safety standards, with structural flaws in the core lift shaft and the use of substandard concrete and steel, contributing to the deadly collapse.

Arriving at the police station in a wheelchair, Premchai’s frail appearance showed his reported health issues, including diabetes, hypertension, and a recent eye operation. After the Ratchada Criminal Court denied bail for Premchai and 14 other suspects on May 16th, they were transferred to Bangkok Remand Prison. However, citing his chronic illnesses, prison authorities moved Premchai to the Central Correctional Hospital within the Klong Prem Central Prison complex for medical monitoring, sources confirmed. They made it clear this was not a private hospital.

The Corrections Department stated that Premchai’s family delivered his medication and a medical certificate to the prison, and he was provided rice porridge for breakfast on May 17th. While no approval has been granted for treatment outside correctional facilities, the decision to keep him in the prison hospital aligns with prior requests made by his wife, Kanita Karnasuta, during his earlier incarceration. In 2021, Kanita sought permission for Premchai to be treated outside prison due to his health conditions, a decision left to the prison doctor’s discretion.

This is not Premchai’s first brush with the law. In December 2021, the Supreme Court sentenced him to three years and two months in prison for illegally hunting protected wildlife, including a rare black panther, in Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in 2018. He was released early in October 2023 under probation and house arrest due to health issues, exempted from wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet because of his diabetes.

The transfer to the prison hospital has sparked mixed reactions. Some critics, recalling Premchai’s previous legal battles, question whether his health claims are being used to secure preferential treatment, a concern echoed in public sentiment following former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s extended stay at the Police General Hospital’s 14th floor during his 2023 sentence. Others argue that, given his age and documented medical history, the move is a standard procedure for inmates requiring specialized care.

The SAO collapse case continues to unfold, with ongoing investigations into the ITD-CREC joint venture, particularly regarding the use of substandard materials and possible irregularities in the project’s documentation. The tragedy has reignited debates over construction safety standards in Thailand, and Premchai’s high-profile arrest keeps the spotlight on accountability for corporate negligence.

As Premchai remains under medical observation in the prison hospital, authorities are expected to proceed with formal charges and court proceedings.

Construction Tycoon Premchai Transferred to Prison Hospital Following Arrest in Bangkok Building Collapse Case - The Pattaya News

^ He was healthy enough to hunt down and kill an endangered panther a few years ago!