Four Chinese nationals arrested for taking documents from collapsed Bangkok building after earthquake

Thai law enforcement detained four Chinese citizens on Sunday for illegally accessing a collapsed building site in Bangkok's Chatuchak District, and attempting to collect documents from the premises.
The 30-storey SAO building, which was under construction, collapsed following a significant 7.7 magnitude earthquake that affected Myanmar and Thailand on Friday.
According to local media Straight Times, Pol. Maj. Gen. Napasilp Phulsawat of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said the individuals unlawfully entered the restricted area and retrieved 37 files from the collapsed State Audit Office (SAO) construction site.
"After receiving reports from the public regarding individuals removing documents from the site, authorities launched an investigation. Police apprehended one Chinese national near the disaster zone, who identified himself as the project director overseeing the building's construction," he said in a statement issued on Sunday.
Napasilp confirmed that all documents were now in police custody for review, and experts would examine the materials for evidence relating to the building's collapse.
The investigation revealed that the detained individuals, who worked for a joint venture company involved in the project, had valid documentation including visas, work permits and passports.
Following Friday's declaration of the site as a disaster zone by Bangkok's Governor, access was restricted to authorised personnel under the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act. Local authorities in Chatuchak District are initiating legal proceedings against the individuals for violating the Act. Violations of the Act can result in three months' imprisonment, a 6,000 Baht fine, or both penalties.
The death toll from the Myanmar earthquake has surpassed 1,700 as more bodies are recovered from the rubble, the military-led government announced on Monday. According to news agency Associated Press, government spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun told state-run MRTV that at least 3,400 people have been injured, and more than 300 remain missing.