Chinese men seen 'removing' documents from collapsed Bangkok skyscraper; detained
What's the story
Four Chinese men were detained in Thailand on Sunday for trespassing at the site of a collapsed building in Chatuchak District. The structure had collapsed in a powerful earthquake that hit central Myanmar last week. The Metropolitan Police Bureau's Deputy Commissioner Police Major General Nopasin Poolswat said the suspects were nabbed while attempting to remove 32 files from the wrecked State Audit Office (SAO) building without permission.
Incident report
Earthquake triggers building collapse, leaving many trapped
After retrieving the files, they escaped over a wall to an awaiting truck near Bang Sue Junction. A media team noticed the men, who alerted authorities. The 33-story under-construction building came crashing down in seconds during a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar. The skyline of the megacity had been dotted with cranes, and no other construction site reported similar collapses. The mishap sent a cloud of dust and debris into the air and trapped dozens under the rubble.
Investigation details
Suspicious activities reported at the disaster site
Bangkok Governor later declared the area around the collapse site as a disaster zone and restricted unauthorized entry into it. One of the Chinese men found near the site claimed he was a project manager for a construction project. He had a valid work permit, and his company was part of a joint venture with Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, contracted for the building under construction.
Twitter Post
Video of the building collapse
อาคารที่ถล่มคือ โครงการก่อสร้างสำนักงานการตรวจเงินแผ่นดิน (สตง.) หลังจากนี้น่าจะต้องมีการตรวจสอบมาตราฐานการก่อสร้างนะ เพราะโครงสร้างอาคารสร้างถึงชั้นบนแล้ว ไม่น่าจะถล่มได้ #แผ่นดินไหว pic.twitter.com/79cJ2tqPH6
— Eric (@eric_sayompoo) March 28, 2025
Document recovery
Additional suspects found with stolen documents
Police also found three other Chinese men along with 32 documents in their possession. The documents included various paperwork connected to the construction project. The four claimed they were subcontractors of a contractor working under Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited. They claimed they had entered the site to collect documents needed for an insurance claim from a container that was temporarily used as their company's office.
Legal proceedings
Legal action initiated against Chinese nationals
The suspects were temporarily released after questioning. However, on Sunday, Chatuchak District Office officials lodged a complaint against five Chinese men for breaching a public announcement—they had reportedly entered the building site. The collapsed building had been under construction for three years at a reported cost of more than two billion Thai baht (about £45 million).