Bangkok Building Collapse: Chinese Companies Flee Overnight, Thailand Sees Anti-China Investment Sentiment Rising

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 struck Myanmar recently, causing a building under construction in Bangkok, Thailand to collapse. The construction contractor, China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) Subsidiary, China Railway Construction Corporation (CREC), became the target of public anger. The incident has once again brought attention to the issue of “flimsy construction” by Chinese companies and has sparked an anti-Chinese investment sentiment in Thailand.

On March 28, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar, affecting Thailand. The collapse of the Thailand National Audit Office building in Bangkok, the only building in Thailand to collapse during the earthquake in Myanmar, has resulted in at least 12 confirmed fatalities with over 70 people still trapped.

The over thirty-story building under construction is located near the famous Chatuchak Market in north Bangkok, and is being constructed by CREC’s subsidiary, China Railway Tenth Bureau Group (CRCC) in partnership with the local developer Italian-Thai Development Company (ITD).

According to reports from Thai media, the sudden collapse of the Thailand National Audit Office building has raised strong questions about the quality of the construction and the accountability of regulatory agencies. Thai authorities have subsequently launched an investigation.

On March 31, the Thai Enquirer reported that the Thai Railway Inspection Team and law enforcement officials visited the Thailand branch office of CRCC in Bangkok’s Tongkru County but found the office closed and empty. All attempts to contact the office through registered phone numbers, including landlines and mobile phones, were unsuccessful.

Additionally, on April 1, Nationthailand reported that Thai Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan stated that during the investigation, several irregularities were discovered. However, attempts to reach the Thailand branch office of CRCC in Bangkok were unsuccessful, as calls went unanswered and the office was inaccessible.

Prior to this, local media revealed that four Chinese men, including project managers, were caught stealing 32 documents from the collapsed building during the chaos. Netizens suspect that CRCC may have been trying to destroy evidence of their illegal activities.

Thai authorities recently released initial investigation results, indicating that at least two types of steel materials used in the construction of the building did not meet quality standards.

Thai opposition member Chutiphong Pipoppinyo pointed out on Facebook that the steel used in the collapsed building matches the products of two Chinese-owned steel factories that were ordered to shut down by the government in December.

Mana Nimitmongkol, Chairman of The Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand, stated on March 30 that during the construction period of the project, they had visited multiple times and noticed delays in progress, lack of workers, and suspected shortcuts in the construction process.

Thai Minister of Industry Akanat Promphan had previously warned multiple times about the quality issues of industrial products manufactured in China, expressing concerns over the potential “disastrous impact” on Thailand.

According to official statistics, China surpassed Japan as Thailand’s largest source of foreign investment in 2019. The imposition of tariffs on Chinese products by the Trump administration prompted Chinese companies to seek “tax evasion routes” in Southeast Asia, leading to a significant influx of Chinese capital into Thailand.

Radio Free Asia reported that in Bowin Town, considered the industrial heartland of Thailand east of Bangkok, there is a Chinese community where transactions are mostly settled in Renminbi (RMB) and conducted through Alipay. Due to the lack of substantial contribution to the local economy by Chinese investment, local residents and representatives have expressed dissatisfaction.

Jirun Petra, a labor rights advocate in Thailand, noted that there is an increasing number of Chinese factories in the area, but very few local Thai workers are employed. He emphasized that residents do not oppose Chinese investments in the area but expect Chinese companies to employ local labor in proportion to regulations.

Under public pressure, Thai Prime Minister Peetongtan has ordered a comprehensive investigation into all projects involving CRCC and verification of the quality of materials used. However, she stated that the investigation will not “target specific countries”.

Senior figure in the mainland capital sector, Xu Zhen, told Epoch Times that following the building collapse incident, CRCC did not sincerely apologize to the public, wait for the accident investigation results, provide comfort and compensation to the victims, but instead acted in a panicked manner, destroyed evidence, and fled overnight. This behavior demonstrates the so-called “responsibility” of central state-owned enterprises under the Communist Party of China (CCP) and further exposes the international community to the CCP’s heinous actions.

Historian Yuan Hua commented that statements by the Chinese embassy primarily aim to shift blame as China itself is rife with incidents of shoddy construction work due to poor governance. Overseas embassies have limited capacity to monitor these foreign-assigned enterprises.

Under the CCP regime, “flimsy construction projects” have been exported as part of Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative.

On November 1, 2024, the roof of Novi Sad Train Station in northern Serbia collapsed, resulting in at least 14 fatalities. The station, which had just completed a three-year reconstruction in July 2024, was constructed by China Railway International Company (CRIC), a subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corporation (CCCC).

On June 26, 2017, the collapse of the SIGIRI Bridge in Kenya, constructed by CRCC, led to at least 27 injuries. The bridge, located in the Boudalangi area of western Kenya across the Nzoia River, had a construction cost of approximately 80 million RMB.

Yuan Hua noted that Chinese companies have historically engaged in undercutting competitors abroad with low prices, presenting an appearance of affordability while delivering shoddy construction work. With the collapse of a building constructed by a CCP-backed enterprise, Thailand is sure to scrutinize the situation, and other countries will likely reevaluate their cooperation with the CCP and its affiliated enterprises.

Xu Zhen highlighted that the latest building collapse incident in Thailand serves as a warning to countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, especially to the political leaders and people in Southeast Asia, viewed as the CCP’s “backyard”—stay away from the CCP to ensure safety and security.