Phiphat has ordered the establishment of a fact-finding committee to investigate the crane collapse incident on a train, with a requirement to report findings within 15 days from now.
Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, has directed the Ministry of Transport to appoint a fact-finding committee to examine compliance with construction safety standards, determine the facts and causes of the crane collapse incident on the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project Phase 1, Bangkok–Nakhon Ratchasima section, contracts 3-4, civil works between Lam Takhong–Sikhio and Kutjik–Khok Kruat, which fell onto a train on 14 January 2026. The committee is required to submit its investigation report within 15 days from today.
Regarding the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), Mr. Anan Phonnimdaeng, Deputy Governor and Acting Governor of the SRT, reported the incident to the SRT board for acknowledgment and to consider clear compensation measures for affected parties as ordered by the Prime Minister. The relevant department concluded that for fatalities, the SRT and contractor will provide compensation of 1,340,000 baht per case. For injured persons, the SRT will cover medical expenses until recovery. For other damages or lost property, affected parties may submit claims to the SRT for case-by-case compensation. Additionally, preventive measures to avoid similar incidents will be implemented alongside a central committee’s concurrent fact-finding investigation.
Mr. Anan added that, according to railway construction standards in areas where trains are still running, contractors must assign engineers or coordination teams to liaise with stationmasters. If a train passes through a construction site, all construction work in that area must stop to ensure maximum passenger safety. It must be strictly checked whether the contractor fully complied with all relevant regulations and requirements and if there were any faults in procedures, equipment, tools, or supervision to determine the cause of the incident.
Meanwhile, the SRT has already moved the affected railway cars out of the track alignment, and the contractor is preparing to dismantle the damaged launcher from the site. Repairs to the track are expected to take about seven days. Going forward, the SRT will conduct thorough inspections of launchers across all construction projects and install additional monitoring and surveillance systems, such as sensors and closed-circuit television (CCTV), to enhance safety and restore public confidence.
On the legal front, the SRT has filed a criminal complaint related to the fatalities and will pursue civil litigation for damages due to property loss, damage to the organization's reputation and credibility, as well as harm to the injured and deceased. Responsibility details will be determined following the fact-finding investigation results.
, State Policy . Additional