Bangkok: The State Audit Office (SAO) has clarified the management process regarding the elevator shaft contract after concerns arose about potential legal violations in its design. The issue came to light when the contractor discovered that the design of the 'elevator shaft wall' did not adhere to legal standards.
According to Thai News Agency, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) addressed these concerns following the March 28, 2025 earthquake, which highlighted the importance of structural stability in the building. The OAG elaborated that the construction of the new office building involved several contractors: Forum Architects Co., Ltd. and Meinhardt (Thailand) Co., Ltd. for design, ITD-CREC (Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Co., Ltd.) for construction, and PKW (P.N. Syncronize Co., Ltd., W. and Sahai Consultants Co., Ltd., and KP Consultants Co., Ltd.) for supervision. Adjustments to some elevator shaft walls were necessary after discovering conflicts between structural and interior architectural designs.
The OAG outlined the legal procedures followed to resolve the issue. Initially, the construction contractor requested opinions from the supervising contractor upon identifying the design conflict. The supervising contractor, representing the SAO, then sought opinions from the design contractor through a Request For Information (RFI), as the design contractor holds a licensed professional engineer status under their employment contract.
Changes were proposed to reduce the elevator shaft wall thickness from 0.30 m to 0.25 m in the walkway area, with increased reinforcing steel to ensure stability. These changes were documented and approved to comply with Ministerial Regulations' No. 55 (2000) under the Building Control Act 1979. The supervising contractor then incorporated these adjustments into the construction plan, which included an engineer's inspection and certification as per the Comptroller General's Department procurement regulations. This resulted in a reduced contract price of 515,195 baht, without affecting the overall construction timeline.
The supervisor compiled and submitted all relevant information to the Construction Procurement Acceptance Committee for review. The Committee's opinion was forwarded to the Auditor General for final contract amendment approval. Subsequently, the SAO Governor presented the amendment to the NSO for further evaluation, ensuring no increase in debt obligation. The contracting parties then signed the amended construction contract, confirming compliance with government procurement laws and SAO regulations for the 2021 budget.