Public Works suspends use of Immigration and Revenue office buildings

The Public Works Department suspends use of Immigration and Revenue office buildings after safety checks reveal cracks following the March 28 earthquake.

The Public Works and Town & Country Planning Department has suspended the use of the Immigration Bureau and Revenue Department office buildings, along with 50 other state office buildings, due to safety concerns following the March 28 earthquake.

In a statement released on its Facebook page on Saturday, the department, under the Interior Ministry, announced that it had conducted safety checks on 6,276 public buildings from 28 March to 4 April. The checks revealed that 52 buildings had developed cracks or posed safety risks and could not be used until repairs were made.Red-Alert Buildings Identified

Of the 52 buildings deemed to be under red alert, two were located in Bangkok, with the remaining 50 spread across various provinces. The two buildings identified as red-alert structures were:


30-storey Immigration Bureau building: Cracks were found in the shear wall, elevator shaft, and fire exit stairs on the third and fourth floors, with steel reinforcement exposed.
27-storey Revenue Department building: Significant damage was noted from the fifth floor to the 27th floor, with cracks appearing on the walls.
Safety Checks Conducted with Expert Assistance

The department's checks were conducted with assistance from 89 engineers from the Council of Engineers of Thailand, the Institute of Engineering of Thailand, as well as voluntary engineers and engineers from the department itself.

Out of the 6,276 public buildings and those accessible to the public, 535 were located in Bangkok, and 5,741 were in provinces. The remaining 50 red-alert buildings were found in the provinces.

Mildly Damaged Buildings Still Safe to Use

Additionally, 342 buildings were placed on yellow alert, indicating mild damage, and their usage could continue safely.

Responsibility for Residential Buildings

The department clarified that it was not responsible for checking the structural safety of residential buildings in Bangkok, as this responsibility falls to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). The BMA has received 18,089 complaints from residents requesting safety checks, via the Traffy Fondue app, and as of 4 April, it had completed inspections on 16,569 complaints.

In the provinces, local public works offices will work with engineers from local administrations to carry out checks on residential buildings upon request.

(2025/04/06-00:00)