BANGKOK — Thailand’s Transport Ministry has launched emergency quality checks on the Bt179 billion ($5 billion) Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project, after revelations that the same construction consortium responsible for last week’s deadly skyscraper collapse is also building critical sections of the nation’s flagship infrastructure initiative.

Substandard Steel Found in Collapsed Bangkok Skyscraper, Investigation Reveals

Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit issued the urgent directive following confirmation that Italian-Thai Development (ITD) and China Railway No 10—the joint venture behind the collapsed State Audit Office building—used substandard steel in that doomed project. Now, fears are mounting that similar defects could plague the 250.77km Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima line, the first phase of Thailand’s ambitious rail link to China.

“We will inspect every weld, every steel beam, every concrete pour,” vowed SRT Governor Veeris Ammarapala, as teams of engineers fanned out across construction sites Wednesday. The sweeping review will scrutinize all 14 civil engineering contracts awarded under former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha’s administration, with particular focus on structural steel integrity, foundation load-bearing capacity and earthquake resistance standards.

First the Belt and Road debt traps, now collapsing buildings!China Railway No. 10 boasted about finishing Thailand’s Audit Bureau HQ-until it crumbled. Deleting WeChat posts won’t hide China’s reckless, substandard construction! #ChinaFail #chinaexposed@jenniferzeng97 @ajphelo pic.twitter.com/U7LlHsWy3k

— anuraggupta (@anuraggupt34370) April 1, 2025

The move comes just days after forensic tests revealed that 10% of steel bars in the collapsed government high-rise failed basic strength tests—materials allegedly supplied by the same network of subcontractors now working on the rail project.

At a tense press conference, Minister Suriya struggled to reassure the public. “This isn’t about distrust,” he insisted, “but when lives are at stake, we must verify everything.” His words did little to calm nerves at a Korat construction camp, where migrant workers whispered about “shaky” support pillars.

Substandard Steel Suspected in Deadly Bangkok Skyscraper Collapse

The scandal threatens to derail Thailand’s Belt and Road Initiative partnership with Beijing, already delayed by land disputes and budget overruns. With the first test runs scheduled for late 2025, officials now face a brutal choice: delay the project for safety checks, or risk another catastrophe.

-Thailand News (TN)