Latest news with #PremchaiKarnasuta
Toronto Sun
16-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Thai construction magnate facing charge over Bangkok tower collapse surrenders to police
Published May 16, 2025 • Last updated 0 minutes ago • 2 minute read Premchai Karnasuta, the president of Italian-Thai Development Co arrives on a wheelchair at Bang Sue Police Station in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, May 16, 2025 to surrender to police on criminal negligence charges for the collapse of a Bangkok high-rise during a March 28 earthquake. Photo by Sakchai Lalit / AP BANGKOK (AP) — A construction magnate, builders, designers and engineers surrendered to police Friday on criminal negligence charges over the collapse during the March 28 earthquake of a Bangkok high-rise in which 92 people died. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Premchai Karnasuta, president of Italian-Thai Development Co, the main Thai contractor for the building project, as well as designers and engineers, was among 17 charged with the felony of professional negligence causing death, Bangkok deputy police chief Noppasin Poonsawat said. Noppasin said those who met police on Friday formally denied the charges. Several have previously issued public denials in response to allegations in the media. Ninety-two people were confirmed dead in the rubble of the building that had been under construction. A small number of other people remain unaccounted for. The building, which was to become a new State Audit Office, was the only one in Thailand to collapse in the earthquake that was centred in neighbouring Myanmar. The search for victims at the site has been halted, though efforts to identify remains through DNA will continue. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Noppasin said at a news conference that evidence and testimony from experts suggested the building plan did not meet standards and codes. The Bangkok Post newspaper said police had also determined the project showed 'structural flaws in the core lift shaft and substandard concrete and steel.' Thai media have reported allegations of wrongdoing in the project almost every day since the building's collapse, many of them involving irregular documentation for the project. Their reports have highlighted the role of Italian-Thai's Chinese joint venture partner, the China Railway No. 10 company, which is involved in projects around the world. One of the 17 charged Friday was Chinese executive Zhang Chuanling, a director at China Railway No. 10's joint venture with Italian-Thai Development. He was previously arrested last month on a charge of violating Thai business law by wrongly using Thai nominees to serve as the Chinese firm's proxies to allegedly control the joint venture. Three Thai executives were also arrested on the charge. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the 17 on the negligence charge on Thursday. Noppasin said 15 turned themselves in at a police station in the morning and the remaining two were expected to do so later. All 15 were driven in police vehicles to the Bangkok Criminal Court, which approved a police detention request and denied the suspects' bail applications, local media reported. The epicentre of the quake was in central Myanmar, where it killed more than 3,700 people and caused major damage in Mandalay, the country's second biggest city, and the capital, Naypyitaw. Premchai's case is his second major tangle with the law. In 2019, he was convicted of wildlife poaching and served about three years in prison. He was found guilty of killing protected animals and illegal possession of weapons after park rangers found a hunting party at a wildlife sanctuary in 2018 with carcasses of a rare black panther, a kalij pheasant and a barking deer. The panther had been butchered and its meat cooked for soup. Celebrity Ontario Toronto Maple Leafs Celebrity Toronto Maple Leafs
Sky News
16-05-2025
- Sky News
Thai construction tycoon among 17 people charged over fatal Bangkok tower collapse
A Thai construction tycoon is among 17 people charged following the collapse of a high-rise tower block in Bangkok, which killed at least 92 people. The 30-storey development, which was still being constructed, was the only building to collapse in the city from tremors emanating from a powerful 7.7 magnitude quake in March in neighbouring Myanmar. Premchai Karnasuta, president of Italian Thai Development, one of Thailand's largest construction companies, and 16 other suspects have been accused of negligence and breaching construction regulations. They deny all the charges. Collectively, they are linked to companies responsible for building design and construction, said Metropolitan Police Bureau deputy commissioner Noppasin Poonsawat. Of those charged, 15 people surrendered to police and appeared in court on Friday for pre-trial proceedings. Premchai arrived by wheelchair. Two more suspects are scheduled to report to authorities in the coming days. A criminal court issued arrest warrants for the 17 on Thursday. "Expert assessments revealed that the architectural design did not comply with ministerial regulations or meet the technical standards outlined in the terms of reference," Noppasin said. Initial tests of materials gathered at the site in March indicated the presence of substandard steel among the wreckage structure, according to industry ministry officials. An investigation was still under way over the causes of the collapse. Italian Thai Development has said it is cooperating with authorities. Thai media have reported allegations of wrongdoing in the project almost every day since the building's collapse, many of them involving irregular documentation for the project. Rescue teams have so far recovered 92 bodies during a six-week operation at the site. Four people remain missing. The search has been halted in the rubble of the collapsed building, which was to become a new State Audit Office, although efforts will continue to identify remains using DNA. The epicentre of the quake was in central Myanmar, where it killed more than 3,700 people and caused major damage in Mandalay, the country's second biggest city, and the capital, Naypyitaw. Premchai's case is his second major clash with the law. In 2019, he was convicted of wildlife poaching and served about three years in prison. Park rangers found him with a hunting party at a wildlife sanctuary in 2018 with carcasses which included a rare black panther.
CNA
16-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Thai construction tycoon among 15 arrested in connection to Bangkok skyscraper collapse
The police in Thailand have arrested 15 people in connection with the collapse of a high-rise building triggered by the earthquake in Bangkok on March 28. One of them is Thai construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta, who heads Italian-Thai Development. The company is in a joint venture with China Railway No 10 (Thailand). Those arrested are now waiting to find out if they can secure release on bail. The State Audit Office was the only building to collapse in Bangkok during the earthquake, killing 92 people — all of them workers involved in the construction. Saksith Saiyasombut reports from Bangkok.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Thai tycoon surrenders over deadly skyscraper collapse
A Thai construction tycoon turned himself in on Friday to face charges of alleged negligence over the collapse of a skyscraper that killed dozens of people in a powerful earthquake, police said. The 30-storey Bangkok tower crumbled in seconds, killing 89 people, mostly construction workers, when a magnitude-7.7 tremor hit neighbouring Myanmar on March 28. The building being constructed to house the State Audit Office was the only structure to collapse in the Thai capital, raising serious concerns about safety standards and oversight. A Thai court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for 17 people on charges of "professional negligence causing death", including Premchai Karnasuta, CEO of Italian-Thai Development (ITD), one of the kingdom's largest construction firms. Premchai and 14 other suspects reported to Bangkok's Bang Sue Police station where "they denied all charges", district police chief Sanong Sangmanee told AFP, adding the remaining suspects were due Monday. If convicted, the 71-year-old magnate faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 200,000 baht ($6,000). Livestream footage from local outlet The Reporters showed Premchai in a wheelchair as officers escorted him from the police station to court. A court official told AFP that Premchai will be held in pre-trial detention while prosecutors continue their investigation. This is not the tycoon's first legal tangle. In 2021 a Thai court sentenced him to three years and two months in prison for poaching protected wildlife, including a black panther. He was released early in 2023 as part of a group of inmates granted clemency for good behaviour. According to public filings with the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Premchai owns nearly 12 percent of ITD's shares. Thai justice department investigators said Friday they will probe cement plates used in the tower's construction to gather further evidence for their case. tak/jts/stu
France 24
16-05-2025
- France 24
Thai tycoon surrenders over deadly skyscraper collapse
The 30-storey Bangkok tower crumbled in seconds, killing 89 people, mostly construction workers, when a magnitude-7.7 tremor hit neighbouring Myanmar on March 28. The building being constructed to house the State Audit Office was the only structure to collapse in the Thai capital, raising serious concerns about safety standards and oversight. A Thai court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for 17 people on charges of "professional negligence causing death", including Premchai Karnasuta, CEO of Italian-Thai Development (ITD), one of the kingdom's largest construction firms. Premchai and 14 other suspects reported to Bangkok's Bang Sue Police station where "they denied all charges", district police chief Sanong Sangmanee told AFP, adding the remaining suspects were due Monday. If convicted, the 71-year-old magnate faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 200,000 baht ($6,000). Livestream footage from local outlet The Reporters showed Premchai in a wheelchair as officers escorted him from the police station to court. A court official told AFP that Premchai will be held in pre-trial detention while prosecutors continue their investigation. This is not the tycoon's first legal tangle. In 2021 a Thai court sentenced him to three years and two months in prison for poaching protected wildlife, including a black panther. He was released early in 2023 as part of a group of inmates granted clemency for good behaviour. According to public filings with the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Premchai owns nearly 12 percent of ITD's shares. Thai justice department investigators said Friday they will probe cement plates used in the tower's construction to gather further evidence for their case. © 2025 AFP
