News Desk
A catastrophic 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025, sending shockwaves as far as 1,000 kilometers to Bangkok, Thailand. In the Thai capital, a 30-story building under construction—the new headquarters of Thailand’s Audit Office—collapsed instantly, killing at least 12 people and leaving dozens missing. The disaster, initially mistaken by some as the quake’s epicenter, has sparked global scrutiny of the building’s contractor, China Railway No. 10 Engineering Group, a state-owned enterprise tied to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). As the only structure in Bangkok to collapse entirely, the incident has fueled concerns about substandard construction practices, with critics invoking the term “Tofu-dreg” to describe shoddy workmanship in Chinese-led projects.
This tragedy is not an isolated case. A pattern of failures across BRI projects in multiple countries has raised serious questions about the quality, safety, and sustainability of China’s ambitious global infrastructure program. From collapsing bridges to derailed trains and crumbling power plants, these incidents expose systemic issues in construction standards, oversight, and accountability, while often burdening host nations with crippling debt.
Thailand: A Collapse That Shook Confidence
The Bangkok collapse has sent shockwaves through Thailand’s construction sector. The 30-story Audit Office building, a flagship BRI project, was meant to symbolize Thailand’s modernization. Instead, its sudden implosion has ignited public outrage and calls for investigations into China Railway No. 10’s practices. Engineers and local officials are questioning why a modern structure, built to withstand seismic activity, failed so spectacularly when no other buildings in the city suffered similar fates. Allegations of cost-cutting, rushed timelines, and inadequate materials have surfaced, with parallels drawn to China’s domestic “Tofu-dreg” projects—infamous for their poor quality and rapid deterioration.
Thai authorities have launched an inquiry, but the incident has already strained diplomatic ties with Beijing, which has promoted the BRI as a cornerstone of economic cooperation. For Thailand, the human toll—12 confirmed deaths and dozens still unaccounted for—underscores the real-world consequences of flawed infrastructure.
Kenya: The Sigiri Bridge Debacle
Halfway across the globe, Kenya faced a similar embarrassment in 2017 when the Sigiri Bridge in Busia County collapsed before its completion. Built by China Overseas Construction and Engineering Company (COVEC) at a cost of approximately $1.2 billion, the 50-meter central span gave way on June 26, 2017, injuring 27 workers, two critically. The bridge was a key political project for then-President Uhuru Kenyatta, who leveraged Chinese-funded infrastructure to bolster his re-election campaign. Its collapse, just weeks before its planned opening, was a public relations disaster.
An investigation by the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KARA) revealed construction mismanagement, including improper concrete pouring, structural imbalances, and unauthorized night work. COVEC deflected blame, citing possible geological issues, but no one was held accountable. The bridge was rebuilt and reopened in August 2018, but the incident left lingering doubts about the reliability of Chinese contractors and the oversight of BRI projects.
Indonesia: A Deadly Derailment
In Indonesia, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway—Southeast Asia’s first high-speed rail line and another BRI flagship—suffered a tragic setback during trial operations on December 18, 2022. A derailment killed two Chinese workers and injured four others. The railway, managed by PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), was built with Chinese technology and hailed as a milestone in Sino-Indonesian cooperation.
An Indonesian academic, cited by Radio Free Asia, attributed the crash to the train “traveling too fast over unfinished tracks and being unable to brake in time.” The accident, occurring just a month after President Xi Jinping joined Indonesian leaders for a ceremonial trial run during the G20 summit, sparked national outrage. Critics questioned the safety of Chinese rail systems and revived debates over Japan’s earlier bid, which had lost to China’s lower-cost proposal. A member of Indonesia’s parliamentary transportation commission called the derailment evidence of the project’s failure to meet safety standards, prompting calls for stricter oversight.
Ecuador: A Hydroelectric Plant on the Brink
In Ecuador, the Coca Codo Sinclair Hydroelectric Plant, built by Chinese contractor Sinohydro and completed in 2016, is teetering on the edge of disaster. According to a 2025 Bloomberg report, local media warned that the plant, located in a geologically unstable valley, could collapse by 2026 due to accelerated erosion triggered by a nearby waterfall’s collapse. Supplying nearly one-third of Ecuador’s electricity, the plant’s potential failure poses a dire threat to the nation’s energy security.
From the outset, the project was plagued by thousands of cracks, design flaws, and equipment failures. Former Energy Minister René Ortiz blamed “poor-quality equipment and components” supplied by Sinohydro. Ecuador filed a $1.1 billion arbitration case against the contractor in 2021, which remains unresolved. The case highlights a recurring issue with BRI projects: host nations are left to grapple with defective infrastructure while legal and financial recourse remains elusive.
Uganda and Pakistan: More Troubled Projects
In Uganda, the Karuma Hydropower Station, also built by Sinohydro, faced years of delays due to wall cracks and other defects. Construction began in 2012, but the project, costing $1.44 billion (85% funded by China’s Export-Import Bank), was only completed in September 2024. Uganda was forced to start repaying loans in 2023, despite the plant remaining unfinished, placing a heavy financial burden on the country.
In Pakistan, the Neelum–Jhelum Hydropower Project, completed in 2018 by China Gezhouba Group, was shut down in April 2022 after a pressure tunnel leak caused widespread power outages. The Wall Street Journal reported geological instability and structural flaws as the causes, forcing Pakistan to spend hundreds of millions on repairs and alternative energy sources. These failures have deepened Pakistan’s economic woes, already strained by BRI-related debt.
The Broader Implications
Chinese state media often portrays BRI projects as “century-long undertakings for the benefit of humanity,” showcasing its contractors as global leaders in engineering. However, the reality is starkly different. From Thailand to Ecuador, BRI projects have repeatedly been marred by poor construction, design flaws, and safety hazards. Worse, they frequently leave host nations with unsustainable debt, tying them to long-term economic dependency and, in some cases, the loss of strategic assets.
Critics argue that China’s BRI prioritizes speed and cost over quality, with contractors cutting corners to meet ambitious deadlines. The lack of accountability—evidenced by unresolved arbitration cases and deflected blame—further erodes trust. For countries like Kenya, Indonesia, and Ecuador, the promise of transformative infrastructure has often turned into a nightmare of repairs, financial strain, and lost lives.
Aseismic and Economic Risks
The Thailand collapse highlights a particularly alarming trend: the vulnerability of BRI projects to natural disasters. The Coca Codo Sinclair plant’s precarious position in a geologically unstable valley and the Neelum–Jhelum project’s susceptibility to geological shifts underscore the failure to adequately account for environmental risks. As climate change intensifies, such oversights could prove even more catastrophic.
Economically, the BRI’s debt-driven model has drawn scrutiny. Countries like Uganda and Pakistan, locked into repaying loans for defective or delayed projects, face mounting fiscal pressures. The lack of transparency in BRI contracts and the difficulty of holding Chinese contractors accountable exacerbate these challenges, leaving host nations with little leverage.
Moving Forward
The string of BRI failures has prompted calls for reform. Some analysts urge host nations to demand stricter quality controls, independent oversight, and clearer contractual terms. Others advocate for diversifying partnerships, pointing to Japan’s high-speed rail expertise as a safer alternative in cases like Indonesia’s railway. Meanwhile, public pressure is growing for China to address the systemic issues within its BRI framework, including the need for better accountability and higher construction standards.
For now, the human cost of these failures—12 lives lost in Bangkok, two in Indonesia, and countless injuries across multiple projects—serves as a grim reminder of the stakes. As investigations into the Thailand collapse unfold, the world is watching to see whether the BRI can deliver on its lofty promises or whether it will continue to leave a trail of broken infrastructure and shattered trust.
