Bangkok: Two renowned presenters have lodged a formal complaint against the State Audit Commission (SAC) officials following the collapse of the commission’s new building, raising concerns over accountability and transparency.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Damrong Puttala and Ms. Narakorn Tiyayon, both well-known presenters, approached Bang Sue Police Station to report Mr. Montien Charoenphol, the current Auditor General of Thailand, and Mr. Prajak Boonyang, the former Auditor General. The complaint revolves around the collapse of the new State Audit Commission building, a project contracted to the ITD-CREC joint venture, a collaboration between Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Company Limited. The presenters accuse the officials of negligence, which allegedly led to numerous fatalities and improper conduct resulting in public harm.
Ms. Narakorn highlighted the incident where the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) building collapsed following an earthquake on March 28, 2025. Despite the natural disaster, she noted that other tall buildings in Bangkok withstood the quake, sparking suspicions about the structural integrity and oversight of the OAG building. She expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of explanation from authorities, fearing that only engineers would be held accountable despite potential managerial and procedural failures.
Mr. Montien Charoenphol, as the Auditor General, faces criticism for not accepting responsibility for the tragedy, which involved numerous casualties. The presenters argue that his role should have ensured strict supervision and corruption prevention in construction activities, suggesting his negligence contributed to the disaster. They call for exhaustive legal action against him based on available evidence.
The incident has reportedly inflicted significant damage on Thailand’s reputation and economy, involving an estimated loss exceeding 2 billion baht. Concerns have been raised about irregularities in the project approval and execution, further tarnishing the country’s global safety perception, as echoed by Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra’s public remarks.
Mr. Damrong emphasized the necessity for accountability, criticizing the government’s perceived disregard for public interests. He questioned why the investigation focused solely on the construction company and engineers, without scrutinizing the State Audit Office governor’s role. He also questioned the agency’s failure to monitor its own construction efforts.