Chinese steel fails second safety test in Thai collapse probe (2025)

The steel scandal behind the collapse of Thailand’s State Audit Office (SAO) building has deepened after fresh test results revealed another failure by Chinese manufacturer Xin Ke Yuan Steel — marking the second time its materials have failed to meet Thai industrial standards.

Yesterday, April 23, Industry Minister Akanat Promphan confirmed the findings, citing results from the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand (ISIT). The substandard steel sample was taken from the collapsed SAO building on April 11 and subjected to rigorous testing.

“The Chinese company’s SD40T 20-millimetre steel bar failed the mass-per-metre test, consistent with the previous results,” said Akanat.

Akanat explained that the steel in question had been produced using induction furnace (IF) technology, which has already drawn criticism for its inconsistent quality.

The minister added that the test results will be submitted to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), which is overseeing the broader investigation into the building’s collapse. However, he stressed that this new test is separate from any existing legal proceedings related to the previous batch tested on March 31.

“A fail is a fail, a pass is a pass,” Akanat said, emphasising the integrity of ISIT’s testing, which he confirmed aligns with benchmarks set by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI).

Interestingly, not all of the company’s steel failed. The 32-millimetre steel bar from the same source, which previously failed to meet yield strength standards, has now passed. Regardless, Xin Ke Yuan Steel is expected to provide a formal explanation to the DSI.

“This is just one part of the broader effort to crack down on zero-coin industries, those that contribute no real value to Thai society,” Akanat said, referring to companies accused of corner-cutting and compromising public safety.

The minister also revealed a wider crackdown on substandard IF steel, stating that over the past seven months, officials had seized 384.4 million baht worth of IF steel intended for use in Thai construction projects, reported The Nation.

With IF technology under the microscope, the Industry Ministry has proposed scrapping IF steel certification standards entirely, a proposal set to be discussed at the next Industrial Product Council meeting.

The controversy is raising tough questions about quality control in Thailand’s construction sector and who is building the foundations of the nation.

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