The steel bars used in the under-construction office tower that collapsed in Bangkok during the earthquake on 28 March 2025 have been found to be substandard.
The building, intended to house the State Audit Office, was the only structure in Bangkok to collapse following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake centred in Myanmar.
The collapse claimed the lives of at least 12 workers and left dozens more trapped under the rubble.
Tests conducted by the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand revealed that two sizes of steel bars collected from the site failed to meet national standards.
These bars did not meet specifications for mass, chemical composition, or tensile strength.
Bangkok Post reported that Thitipas Choddaechachainun, head of a Ministry of Industry working group, said the steel was traced to a factory previously ordered to shut in December 2024.
While the company was not officially named by authorities, images circulated by the Ministry of Industry and local media clearly showed steel bars bearing the “Sky” brand, manufactured by Xin Ke Yuan Steel Co.
The factory, located in Rayong province, was closed on safety grounds following a gas tank leak and had over 2,400 tonnes of steel seized by officials.
Despite the factory being shut down, steel from the plant appears to have entered the supply chain and been used in the 30-storey tower project.
The building was approximately 45% complete when it fell, a collapse that has gone viral on social media and triggered nationwide concern over construction safety.
The tower was being built by ITD-CREC, a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development Plc (a SET-listed Thai firm) and China Railway Number 10 Thailand Co.
China Railway Number 10 is now under investigation by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), which is probing whether it used Thai nominees as proxy shareholders. Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong confirmed this on Tuesday, 1 April.
A representative for Italian-Thai could not immediately be reached, and attempts to contact China Railway Number 10 were unsuccessful.
The Bangkok Post also reported that a phone operator at Xin Ke Yuan Steel confirmed the plant’s operations remain suspended. No executives could be reached for comment.
Public records show the company was registered in 2011, with 80% of its shares held by nine Chinese nationals, according to the Department of Business Development.
Industry Minister Akanat Promphan said further steel samples would be collected, and his ministry would work with the government’s special probe committee.
“We’ll also inspect the factory in the meantime to see if it had violated the shutdown order and check the inventory that we have seized,” Thitipas added.
She stressed that any manufacturers or sellers of substandard products would face legal action under Thailand’s Industrial Products Standards Act.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) said it had already raised concerns about the tower project before the collapse, though details have not been publicly disclosed.
The building’s dramatic fall contrasted sharply with the rest of Bangkok, which suffered little visible damage from the quake.
Thai police are also investigating five Chinese nationals accused of entering the restricted site of a collapsed building in Bangkok and removing construction documents.
Four individuals were apprehended, and one is under investigation, with legal proceedings now underway, according to The Nation Thailand.
In Myanmar, where the earthquake struck hardest, more than 2,700 people have been confirmed dead, according to local authorities.
The Bangkok collapse has intensified scrutiny of foreign construction partnerships and the quality of building materials being used across Thailand.
Authorities have vowed accountability and promised that ongoing investigations will identify those responsible for the tragedy.
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