The inspection comes in the wake of the collapse of the State Audit Office building in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, which raised questions about construction quality. The building was constructed by a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development and China Railway No.10 Engineering Group Co — the same firms currently building sections of the high-speed rail line.
SRT Governor Veeris Ammarapala said the agency expedited quality checks on Contract 3-1, covering the Kaeng Koi–Klang Dong and Phang Asoke–Bandai Ma segments. According to the SRT, structural engineers were deployed to examine the construction sites and confirmed that no cracks or damage were found.
The high-speed rail project’s structures were designed with seismic resistance in mind and comply with relevant construction standards, Veeris said. In coordination with the Railway Transport Department, the Industrial Standards Institute, and the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand, the SRT collected steel samples from depots in Muak Lek and Thap Kwang.
These samples underwent laboratory testing for yield strength, tensile strength, elongation, bending capacity, and chemical composition. All results were found to be within the approved quality range, according to the SRT.
The governor added that quality assurance measures are in place at every stage of the construction process — from steel production at factories to on-site installation. “Only materials that have passed comprehensive testing are used,” he said, emphasizing that project supervisors are tasked with ensuring compliance with safety and engineering protocols.
The 252.3-kilometer high-speed rail line will connect Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima. Contract 3-1 is one of ten work packages awarded under the overall plan. Construction is expected to take approximately three years to complete. Italian-Thai Development and China Railway No.10 Engineering Group Co are leading the work on this section.
