Attawit submitted a request to the House Financial Commission to investigate the audit results of the collapsed Office of the Auditor General (OAG) building, warning of concerns over two other buildings—the NBTC and ERC towers—and remained unfazed by an ethics complaint. He revealed that the investigation results from the 'Phaethon Tharn' government do not align with those from the Ministry of Industry.
At 15:40 on 2 July 2026 GMT+7, Attawit Suwanpakdee, party-list MP for the United Thai Nation Party (UTN), stated at the parliament that he has submitted a request to the House Commission on Finance, Banking, Financial Institutions, and Capital Markets to review the audit of the collapsed OAG building. The findings conflict with the data from the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI), Ministry of Industry, which he possesses. The large committee report formed under the 'Phaethon Tharn' government at that time does not match the report he holds from when he was the advisory chairman to the Minister of Industry. This discrepancy is suspicious since both government agencies’ reports contradict each other. It is necessary to investigate to establish a reliable standard to understand what happened to the OAG building that collapsed over a year ago, but the cause remains unclear. The government then cited design changes as the cause, whereas steel tests from the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (N-TECH) found IF steel was used, which does not meet TISI’s industrial product standards.
Attawit added that the Ministry of Industry holds a letter from the Secretary-General of TISI to the Director of the Industrial Economics Office showing the steel inspection results under the OAG building on 11 April 2025, the inspection date. This testing was conducted jointly by experts from N-TECH and the Engineering Institute of Thailand under Royal Patronage, who observed and tested the steel. Samples were collected by TISI officers from the site and sent to the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand laboratory. The test showed the steel did not meet standards. This is the data he and the Ministry of Industry have, confirmed by lab tests at the Steel Association, which requested permission for IF-type steel.
"A large task force led by Phaethon Tharn at the Government House concluded that the collapsed OAG building’s cause was due to design and construction, not the steel or concrete, citing academics from four universities who inspected the site. This raises doubts why their findings differ from those of the Ministry of Industry and the TISI report sent to the Industrial Economics Office. Now that I am back in parliament, I want to clarify this issue clearly and have submitted the request to the House Financial Commission chairman. The OAG building was funded by taxpayers, so we must apply scientific standards to determine the truth, as government audit results conflict. Currently, Thailand’s steel industry uses IF and EAF steel. IF steel is no longer used in China but is used here. Recently, the TISI banned the use of IF steel for rebar in high-rise buildings to ensure safety, allowing only round steel for horizontal floors. This bold decision by TISI protects the Thai public. We must understand why these inspection results contradict each other."
Attawit confirmed his approach is proper and straightforward. The Financial Commission’s investigation will not be limited to the OAG building but will also cover other government projects such as the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) building worth 618 million baht and the NBTC building valued at 2.643 billion baht, both still unfinished. These buildings are funded by public money, and the commission has a duty to investigate.
When asked about a recent ethics complaint filed against him, former MP Attawit responded that he is asking how many people died in the OAG building collapse and whether the evidence about substandard steel rebar is consistent. The ban on IF steel rebar for high-rise buildings comes from the TISI board, not his personal decision. If being an MP means staying silent on issues involving multiple deaths, he refuses to do so. He also urged those filing complaints to consider the victims of the OAG collapse. The truth is the truth. They are fighting a multi-billion-baht steel industry with 11 IF steel factories in Thailand. If structural steel cannot meet quality standards due to innovation problems, companies must bear the costs. He calls on everyone to support truly quality steel standards, not substandard steel lacking quality.