Chatuchak: Relatives held a merit-making ceremony one year after the collapse of the State Audit Office building, seeking answers on whether anyone was held responsible. One year has passed since the earthquake that caused the new State Audit Office building to collapse, killing nearly 100 people. Today, relatives of the victims gathered at the site of the disaster to perform religious rites and expressed their desire for answers about the cause of the collapse and whether anyone was held responsible.
According to Thai News Agency, the atmosphere at the State Audit Office building in Chatuchak is somber after the first anniversary of the tragic event that claimed 93 lives, left 3 missing, and injured many. Relatives of the victims gathered inside the building for religious ceremonies to commemorate the tragedy. Many families entered the building and wept at the sight of the rubble, piles of rocks, and concrete, overwhelmed with grief and longing. Mr. Kanaphat Hongsavarangkun, Deputy Governor of the State Audit Office, represented the office and invited monks from Yannawa to conduct the ceremony.
In a conversation with Ms. Chalermsri Phromsa, the mother of Mr. Parames Rodnoi, the design worker who died in the incident, she stated that for the past year, the relatives and family members of the deceased have been unable to describe their feelings. Even now, they still don’t know the truth about what caused the incident. They want answers from those who know or are currently working on the project. She added that the entire country also wants to know what exactly occurred.
“Today, one year ago, was a day of pain for everyone, but those at fault know nothing. We would like the relevant authorities to tell us what caused this incident and whether anyone was at fault.”
Regarding the death of their son, Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited and China Railway No. 10 (Thailand) Limited each provided 500,000 baht in compensation to the bereaved family, totaling 1 million baht per family. Even though a year has passed, they still can’t come to terms with it. They still text their son every day, asking if he’s eaten and what he’s doing. Today, they search for his whereabouts, wondering how much pain he’s in. They wonder if their son and his friends here know that someone at fault exists but hasn’t been punished.
However, her son had taken on a side job supervising five construction contractors. He worked for two days, and on the third day, the incident occurred. The reason her son took this side job was to earn money to support his family. The last words he spoke to her were, “I love you, Mom.” She never heard them again.
Ms. Kwanrian Sirichan, another relative of the deceased, revealed that her brother was an electrician. On the day of the incident, he was working on the 20th floor. She still misses him constantly. She and her sibling are the only ones left; their parents have passed away. She wants to say that she misses him all the time and feels sorry for him. Her brother was the pillar of his family, with a wife and young children. They are living in hardship now. She hopes this incident serves as a reminder that better prevention and caution are needed to protect the lives of those working in the area. They have families and young children waiting for them. The loss is not worth it. She has consistently made merit and dedicated good deeds to her brother. The lack of safety and the loss have caused her immense grief. Only those who have experienced it can truly understand. From the day of the incident until the day they learned of her brother’s fate, it was a month. They traveled to the scene every day, hoping for his dea
th, but when they learned of it, they were devastated.