SAO collapse probe shreds reputations

Out of the blue and rather belatedly, former auditor-general Phisit Leelaramethaporn uttered a ridiculous apology over the collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building in Chatuchak district, saying he was sorry for using feng shui in his selection of the building’s location.

- THINK PRAGMATIC Veera Prateepchaikul

Such a remark is not funny at all, given the likely deaths of more than 90 construction workers trapped under the debris of the collapsed building. Over 40 bodies have been recovered, but about 50 are still listed as missing.

But no sir, it was not feng shui that is to blame for the collapse of the building. Nor was the devastating earthquake in Myanmar on March 26, because hundreds of skyscrapers in Bangkok, including dozens still under construction, did not crumble.

Of course, some buildings suffered cracks and over 50 buildings were declared unsafe for human occupation. But the SAO building was the only one which collapsed like a house of cards.

Hence, the big question mark arises for curious members of the public about what went wrong with the SAO building. Were there irregularities in the construction process?

Mr Phisit, who was then the auditor-general, said the original site for the SAO building was in Padhum Thani.

However, the site was flooded heavily during the epochal floods of 2011. Also, the location is close to the high-tension power lines of the Electricity Generating Authority of Authority, making it too dangerous to build a high-rise there.

The new location that Mr Phisit picked is a 10-rai land plot leased out by the State Railway in Thailand. It is in the capital and highly convenient because of its connections with the subway, BTS and expressway.