SAO clarifies elevator shaft wall modifications: Confirms full compliance with regulations

The office emphasized that all actions were taken transparently to ensure structural safety, legal adherence, and financial accountability.

The State Audit Office (SAO) on Thursday issued a statement detailing contract administration and modification process involving changes to parts of the elevator shaft walls (core lift) in its new office building.

The under-construction 30-storey building on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road collapsed on March 28 due to the impact of an 8.2-magnitude earthquake near Mandalay, Myanmar, trapping over a hundred workers inside.

SAO’s clarification comes in response to public concerns that the modifications might have compromised the building’s structural integrity.



The office explained that the construction contract for the new office involved three main parties: the design team (Forum Architect Co Ltd and Meinhardt (Thailand) Ltd), the construction contractors (Italian-Thai Development Pcl and China Railway No 10 (Thailand) Co Ltd), and the supervision team (PN Synchronize Co Ltd, W and Associates Consultants Co Ltd, and KP Consultants Co Ltd).The statement said the wall modification issue arose during contract administration when the construction contractor found a conflict between the structural design and interior architectural design. Specifically, the elevator shaft wall thickness and decorative materials would have caused the corridor width to violate the Ministerial Regulation No. 55 (2000) under the Building Control Act (1979).

In response, the SAO followed all necessary legal and procedural steps:

1. The contractor, responsible for construction per the contract and attached specifications, discovered the design conflict and consulted the supervision team.

2. The supervision team issued a formal Request for Information (RFI) to the design team.

3. The design team proposed reducing the wall thickness from 0.30 metres to 0.25 metres and compensating with additional steel reinforcement, ensuring compliance with both engineering standards and building code.

4. The revised design was reviewed and approved by both the design and supervision teams, with formal endorsement by a licensed senior engineer, following procurement and government construction management regulations. The contractor proposed a revised price reflecting a cost reduction of 515,195.36 baht (including VAT), with no impact on project timeline.

5. The supervision team submitted the modification proposal and related information to the construction material revision committee for approval.

6. The committee reviewed the proposal and passed it to the Auditor General to approve the amendment of the contract under the Public Procurement and Supplies Administration Act of 2017.

7. The Auditor General presented the proposal to the State Audit Commission for final approval, confirming the changes would not affect the budget allocation and are in compliance with SAO regulations.

8. The contracting parties signed the revised contract, incorporating the updated designs and specifications.

The SAO emphasized that all actions were taken transparently, in strict compliance with the Public Procurement and Supplies Administration Act of 2017 and relevant regulations to ensure structural safety, legal adherence, and financial accountability.

(2025/04/24-00:00)