Thailand Orders Probe Into China-Linked Building That Collapsed in Earthquake

The building was a $63 million joint venture between a leading Thai construction company and a subsidiary of the China Railway Engineering Corp.

A day after an earthquake struck central Burma and Thailand, rescue workers survey the site of a building collapse in Bangkok, on March 29, 2025. Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images

The Thai government announced a probe on March 29 of a 33-story building that collapsed during neighboring Burma’s recent 7.7-magnitude earthquake, with nine workers confirmed killed and about 100 missing. The building was a joint Thai–China construction project.

Some glass windows installed as cladding on the building could be seen falling off as the entire structure collapsed within seconds. The cloud of dust that rose as the building collapsed into a mound was caught by witnesses in videos shared on social media.