Bangkok, April 6, 2025 — Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra made a somber visit to the rubble of the collapsed State Audit Office (SAO) building in Chatuchak district on Sunday evening, offering support to rescue teams and pledging accountability for the disaster that has shaken Thailand’s reputation for infrastructure safety.

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The 33-story, 2.1-billion-baht (US$61.4 million) structure—the only building in Bangkok to fail during the March 28 Myanmar earthquake (7.7 magnitude)—crumbled while nearing completion after five years of construction. Since the collapse, international rescue teams from the U.S., Israel, and China have worked alongside Thai responders, though operations have now shifted from search-and-rescue to recovery, with 79 workers, many of them Myanmar nationals, still unaccounted for.

“This is not just about one building—it’s about Thailand’s credibility,” Paetongtarn told officials at the site, her voice firm despite visible fatigue. “We owe the victims’ families and the public clear answers.” The prime minister, Thailand’s youngest and only the second woman to hold the office, has faced mounting scrutiny over the disaster, which has raised urgent questions about construction standards in a city long deemed safe from seismic threats.

The Interior Ministry will submit its final report on the SAO building collapse to PM Paetongtarn on April 8.

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Earlier in the week, at the opening of the Thailand Investment and Expat Services Center (TIESC), Paetongtarn sought to reassure foreign investors and tourists, insisting the SAO collapse was an “isolated technical failure” and that most Bangkok buildings meet earthquake-resistant codes. Yet critics, including opposition lawmakers and engineering experts, demand an independent probe into whether cost-cutting or regulatory lapses played a role.

As night fell over the wreckage, the prime minister spent nearly two hours speaking with rescue crews, asking about challenges—from unstable debris to equipment shortages—and promising additional resources. “Every life here matters,” she said, pausing to observe a moment of silence where the high-rise once stood.

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With public confidence wavering, the government now races to balance transparency with damage control, even as grieving families—some clutching photos of missing loved ones—wait for closure. A full investigative report is expected within 60 days, though for many, the scars of this disaster will linger far longer.

(Sources: Prime Minister’s Office, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration)

-Thailand News (TN)