AC condensation, undersized screws caused parliament ceiling collapse

Small screws unable to bear weight of saturated cafeteria ceiling panels, inspection finds

Water dripping from air conditioning ducts and undersized screws used in ceiling panels caused the ceiling of the cafeteria at the parliament complex in Bangkok to collapse on Sunday, an inspection has found.

Public works officials who carried out the inspection at the cafeteria on the B2 level concluded that condensation on AC ducts caused water to drip onto the ceiling panels and they collapsed after prolonged absorption, Parliament President Sophon Zaram said on Tuesday.

As well, he said, the screws used to secure the panels were too small. The officials recommended using bigger screws to improve the load-bearing capacity of the panels.

There was no problem with the overall structure and workers would be able to replace the ceiling panels and frames beneath the AC ducts, Mr Sophon said.

Prof Amorn Pimanmas, president of the Structural Engineers Association of Thailand, said on Monday that water leaking and accumulated humidity from water pipes and AC ducts could soften and overload ceiling panels.

He also recommended that humidity-proof panels and screws of suitable size could help prevent the collapse.

The cafeteria was closed on Sunday when the incident occurred so no one was injured. In addition to serving officials and staff, the cafeteria is sometimes used by groups of students on field trips at the parliament, said an official.

The Sappaya-Sapasathan building was built by Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Plc, which is controlled by the family of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, although he no longer has any ties to the company.

The construction contract was awarded in 2013 and the building was originally scheduled to open in late 2015. However, the company had to seek numerous extensions and the budget ballooned from 13 billion baht to 24 billion baht.

The building was finally opened in August 2019 for parliamentary meetings but it was not formally handed over to the government until July 2024.

Ever since the building opened, there have been numerous complaints, including leaking roofs, faulty water pipes, and in some cases, some materials that were not specified in the contracts.