DSI joined multiple agencies to inspect collapsed SAO building and set guidelines for evidence collection to avoid duplication with the Central Police Forensic Science Division

DSI joined multiple agencies to inspect collapsed SAO building and set guidelines for evidence collection to avoid duplication with the Central Police Forensic Science Division

On Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 9:30 AM, Police Major Yutthana Praedam, Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), assigned Police Major Woranan Srilam, Director of the Consumer Protection Crime Bureau and DSI Spokesperson, in his capacity as Deputy Head of the Special Case Inquiry Team for the case involving a joint venture led by a foreigner operating a business related to the construction of the State Audit Office (SAO) building that collapsed during the earthquake on March 28, 2025, to attend a meeting with Police Major Anucha Rasamee, Head of Consumer Protection Crime Division 3, at the operations center in JJ Mall, Chatuchak District. The meeting was held with representatives from the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI), the Central Institute of Forensic Science, the Commander of the Central Police Forensic Science Division, the Ministry of Industry, and the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning to establish joint operational plans and strategies for collecting evidence from the disaster site.

The Central Police Forensic Science Division briefed the group on photographic documentation already conducted at the scene and reported that some evidence had already been collected. The agencies jointly surveyed the disaster area and assigned specific responsibilities. DSI will act as the lead coordinator, requesting access permission from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and overseeing evidence collection in accordance with academic principles by specialized agencies. The Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning will collect concrete samples by drilling cores from intact sections for testing and reporting. TISI will examine steel materials used in the construction, collecting samples from both unused steel bars and those integrated into all building zones (A–D). These will undergo chemical composition and industrial standard testing. If any violation of TISI standards is detected, a report and formal complaint with supporting evidence will be submitted to DSI for legal proceedings. Local inquiry officials are responsible for conducting autopsies and criminal investigations into deaths and injuries caused by the building collapse. The Central Institute of Forensic Science will provide technical support and guidance as needed. On April 10, 2025, officials from DSI, the Central Police Forensic Science Division, Bang Sue Police Station, the Central Institute of Forensic Science, and engineers from the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning jointly conducted a site inspection to carry out the planned procedures.

DSI places great importance on investigating potential violations under the Foreign Business Act (nominee arrangements) and the Act on Offenses Relating to the Submission of Bids to Government Agencies (bid rigging). If the collapse is found to be linked to these schemes or the use of substandard materials to cut costs, further investigations will be pursued.