The Engineering Institute of Thailand says poor construction standards and its location on waterway from the hill are causes of the fatal collapse of a building of the Siam Beach Resort hotel in Koh Chang.
Associated professor Siriwat Chaichana revealed the cause of the building collapse that killed one people and injured seven others after the site inspection of the resort hotel.
Initial inspection found that the resort was built on a waterway that flowed down from the hill.
There was no barrier to divert the water flow, thus enabling to stream to directly erode the soil where the building was located.
Besides, the building had no supporting poles underground, but slablike footing thus making the structure not strong enough.
When the soil was eroded for years by water from the hill directly to the building with no barrier to divert the waterflow, it then collapsed.
Other factors are substandard structure, substandard supervision of construction and design engineering work added to the causes of collapse, he said.
But he said intensive finding to the exact cause could take six months to one year.
He also said if the design engineer had no license, he could face maximum three years in jail and 60,000 baht fine.
Siam Beach Resort hotel has paid 50,000 baht compensation, and Trat Red Cross 5,000 baht for the family of the dead.
