The structure collapsed during a violent earthquake that struck central Myanmar last week.
Major General Nopasin Poolswat, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, stated that the suspects were apprehended while attempting to transfer 32 files from the destroyed State Audit Office (SAO) building without permission.
Buildings collapse as a result of the earthquake, trapping many 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.
During a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar, the under-construction 33-story building collapsed in a matter of seconds. 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.
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 that they had gone to the location to get information for an insurance claim from a container that had been their company’s office for a short time.
Procedural 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).