Phiphat orders maximum safety after crane accidents cause revealed

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, addressed the preliminary findings of investigations into two significant crane accidents: one on the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project in Sikhiu, Nakhon Ratchasima on January 14, 2026, and the other on Rama II Road during the construction of the M82 highway on January 15, 2026. The accidents caused severe concerns over public safety during travel.

Phiphat outlined immediate measures to ensure maximum safety, including 100% traffic closures in construction zones and complete oversight on the use of cranes and equipment. He emphasized that no construction should take place above active roadways or rail lines without halting all traffic. Furthermore, the Ministry of Transport will be enhancing the engineering inspection system by implementing real-time structural health monitoring to prevent further accidents.

The minister confirmed that the government would take decisive legal actions against those responsible, both criminally and civilly. He stated that there would be zero tolerance for negligence, with contractors involved in the incidents being replaced by internationally recognised specialists. A review of the engineering structures and systems involved in the incidents is already underway.

Additionally, Phiphat announced a reform of contract standards and oversight procedures for future construction projects, ensuring that safety measures are a key contractual requirement. Contractors failing to comply with these safety standards will face immediate contract termination.

On the issue of foreign contractors, the government is also moving to establish a “contractor report card” system, tracking the performance of construction companies. Contractors with poor safety records or repeated accidents will face penalties, including being blacklisted and prohibited from participating in future government projects.

Finally, Phiphat reassured the public that any delays caused by heightened safety measures were acceptable, but the government would not allow any more lives to be lost due to negligence. The safety and security of the public during transportation are paramount.

Jirapong Theppitak, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, who is overseeing the investigation into the Sikhiu accident, confirmed that the cause was related to the loss of stability of the crane’s front support. He noted that the crane’s front support failed due to a missing high-strength PT-Bar bolt, which led to the crane tipping and hitting the passing train below. An in-depth forensic engineering investigation is ongoing to determine the full cause and identify any other contributing factors.

Regarding the Rama II Road (M82) incident, the investigation found that this was not an isolated accident but rather a structural system risk that needs to be addressed at the structural level. It is not just a matter of temporary repair; the structure must be dismantled and re-engineered to meet higher engineering standards.

Jirapong continued, explaining that the incident involving the concrete beam (segment) and crane (Launching Gantry Crane) on the M82 special expressway project, section 7 from Ekachai to Ban Phaew, was caused by a collapse. The committee's investigation, based on available evidence and eyewitness accounts, found that the failure originated from the front main support point of the crane lifting system, which subsided, causing the structure to collapse.

The engineering assumption about the cause of the subsidence suggests that it may be linked to issues with the crane’s support system and tie-down system, as well as the concrete structure’s ability to withstand the forces applied during operation, which may not have been compatible with the actual loads during work. The committee is still investigating the detailed structural behaviour, load-bearing mechanisms, and failure sequence to determine the true cause systematically according to structural engineering principles.

However, the committee still needs to review the detailed calculations, crane installation procedures (Launching Gantry Crane), and analyse the movement behaviour and load-bearing capacity compared to the construction plan. Additionally, the team is examining the operational documentation to identify further issues.