Families of Cambodian migrant workers, believed to be trapped under the rubble of a 30-storey State Audit Office building in Bangkok, following a strong earthquake in Myanmar, still await compensation from Thai authorities. To date, 51 people of various nationalities are confirmed dead with another 43 missing.
Chhay Sophorn, whose son Phalla Ratana was among two Cambodians who died in the building collapse, said Thai authorities are still trying to identify the deceased, and clearing the debris.
The Institute of Forensic Medicine at the National Police Hospital in Thailand disclosed that DNA results confirmed that Phalla was the son of Sophorn and her husband Sao Phalla, who died in a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck neighboring Myanmar on March 28, 2025.
The other Cambodian migrant worker who was found dead at the site was 23-year-old Meas Savang from Malai district in Banteay Meanchey, according to the Labor and Vocational Training Ministry announcement on April 17. A few more Cambodians are thought to be buried still in the debris.
Sophorn told CamboJA News that her son’s funeral was completed and was now waiting for compensation from Thai authorities.
Her son followed her to Thailand at the age of seven. At the Bangkok building site, Phalla, 24, had been working as an electrician for a month, she said, adding that she cannot believe the tragic incident happened, and killed so many people.
“We have not received any compensation yet because we need the death certificate from the authorities. I want a solution [compensation] although it cannot compare or equal my son’s life. His life was valuable,” said Sophorn.
While the Thai authorities are still clearing the rubble, she shared that the relatives of Cambodian workers who are missing are still waiting in Thailand in case they find their relative. However, she has returned to Cambodia to live with her family after her son’s death.
Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training spokesperson Katta Orn said apart from the two dead Cambodian workers, two others sustained injuries.
The Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok and a team from the ministry are working to process any documents required by the Thai authorities. “Thai authorities have stopped the earthquake [disaster response] but they are still removing the debris from the site,” he told CamboJA News.
He said the funeral expenses are the responsibility of the ministry, and it will continue to monitor the compensation owed to the deceased’s family from the Thai side.
The Bangkok Post reported that three Thai nationals and a Chinese executive of China Railway No.10 (Thailand) Co, the company responsible for the State Audit Office tower construction, have been arrested by the Department of Special Investigation on Saturday.
According to NGO Central, two Cambodian workers – a married couple – known as San Soeun and Sok Kimsey from Tama Village, Makak commune in Serei Saophorn City, Banteay Meanchey, have not been found yet. They worked as bricklayers in the building site.
On April 17, The Nation reported that 33 victims, who were pulled out of the rubble, had been positively identified. They comprised 22 Thais, 10 Myanmar nationals, and one Cambodian.
