DPT denies responsibility for State Audit Office building design

The Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning (DPT) on Tuesday denied a report claiming it was responsible for the design of the State Audit Office building, which collapsed due to last week’s earthquake.

This response followed a report on TikTok alleging that the DPT was responsible for designing the 30-storey building. The report also suggested that the department had never previously designed a large building.

DPT Director-General Pongnara Yenying refuted the claim, stating that the State Audit Office had hired private companies for the building’s design and construction.

He affirmed that the department has designed and supervised the construction of various buildings nationwide in compliance with standards, safety regulations, and building control laws.

“However, the TikTok report has caused misunderstandings and has resulted in reputational damage to the department due to the dissemination of incorrect information. Therefore, we would like to clarify the facts so that the public is correctly informed and to prevent future misunderstandings,” he said.

Pongnara also urged the public to verify information from reliable sources, adding that they can contact the department if they have any questions.

The DPT’s statement aligns with the State Audit Office’s announcement on Sunday, which clarified that two private firms—Forum Architects and Meinhardt (Thailand)—were responsible for the building’s design, with a budget of 73 million baht in 2018.

The contract for construction was awarded to the ITD-CREC No 10 joint venture, comprising Italian-Thai Development (ITD) and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand), according to the statement.