Phiphat Orders Suspension of 14 ITD Contracts for Safety Inspections
Minister Phiphat orders a 15-day suspension of 14 ITD contracts for safety checks after multiple crane collapses. Two ITD projects also cancelled for safety reasons.
On January 16, 2026, at 10:00 AM, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Transport, chaired a meeting to follow up on the progress of transportation safety measures after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul issued an order to the Ministry of Transport to cancel two contracts with Italian-Thai Development (ITD) due to the repeated crane collapses. He also ordered the suspension of all ITD construction projects—14 contracts in total—for 15 days to conduct safety checks.
Key Points from the Meeting:
Formation of the "Fact-Finding Committee": The Ministry of Transport has established a "Fact-Finding Committee" to investigate the safety of the construction projects, to examine the causes and facts of the incidents, identify the responsible parties, and determine preventive measures to avoid future occurrences. The committee will be chaired by the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and will include safety and technical departments as the secretariat.
Establishment of the "Safety Standards Monitoring Committee": A “Committee for Monitoring and Enhancing Safety Standards During Construction and Public Transport Service Standards” has also been set up (Order No. 121). This committee will serve as a "mechanism to regulate safety standards throughout the system," covering both the construction phase and the operational phase. It will be chaired by the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, with representatives from all relevant transport agencies such as the Department of Land Transport, Department of Rail Transport, Department of Harbors, Department of Highways, Department of Rural Roads, Airports of Thailand (AOT), the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), and other professionals. The main task is to review the safety measures currently in place across all areas and propose ways to enhance safety standards, with a detailed action plan to be implemented and reported to the Minister periodically.
Acceleration of the Use of New Regulations for Contractor Registration: An additional "Committee for Monitoring and Accelerating the Use of the Ministerial Regulation on Contractor Registration (Version 2)" has been established (Order No. 122) to ensure the practical use of the "Contractor Book" in the procurement process. This committee will be led by the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport (Head of the Highway Infrastructure Development Task Force), with representatives from the Ministry’s departments such as the Department of Highways, Department of Rural Roads, Department of Harbors, AOT, Rail Transport, and legal/safety experts from the Public Sector Development Commission (SPDC). The committee’s key task is to ensure the prompt and effective implementation of the ministerial regulations and assess and evaluate their practical application in the procurement process, with monthly reports to the Minister.
Main Principles Outlined:
Phiphat emphasized that the Ministry of Transport must take a "comprehensive" approach to ensure the safety of the public, focusing on three main areas:
- Urgent Investigation: Swift investigation into the causes of the incidents and the identification of responsible parties.
- Enhancing Long-Term Safety Standards: Improvement of safety standards for both construction projects and public transport services.
- Regulation and Monitoring of Contractors: Acceleration of the implementation of contractor registration, classification, the use of the "Contractor Book," and the enforcement of penalties to prevent recurrence of incidents and restore public confidence.
Phiphat also instructed project owners to promptly summarize compensation measures for the affected public, ensuring quick relief.
Later in the afternoon, Jirapong Theppitak, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Chairman of the Fact-Finding Committee, revealed that the Ministry has ordered ITD to halt all construction on 14 projects for 15 days, to allow experts to conduct detailed safety inspections.
Additionally, all major construction projects under the Ministry’s responsibility will be suspended for up to 15 days for similar safety reviews, with the results to be reported to the Ministry for further legal action and regulatory measures.
