"Jirapong" , presided over the progress review of the crane accident investigations in Rama 2 and Sikhiu, expediting efforts to uncover faults among the project owners, contractors, and consultants. He emphasized that conclusions must be fact-based, transparent, and publicly explainable.
Mr. Jirapong Thepphitak, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and head of the highway infrastructure development task group, chaired the fact-finding committee meeting on crane incidents in the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project Phase 1, Bangkok–Nakhon Ratchasima, contracts 3-4 covering Lam Takhong–Sikhiu and Kutjik–Khok Kruat sections. This sixth progress meeting reviewed the work of the engineering subcommittee, noting that investigations into these major construction accidents in Rama 2 andSikhiu areashave advanced approximately 75%.
So far, materials and equipment fromthe accident siteshave undergone technical testing, and relevant individuals have been continuously interviewed. Although some information remains under oath and is not yet publicly disclosed, the subcommittee includes experts from the Engineering Institute of Thailand under His Majesty's Patronage (EIT), who conduct interviews, inspections, and assessments following professional engineering standards to ensure credible and accepted findings.
The investigation timeline is set at 45 days, aiming to complete the report by the end of March 2026. This will allow a transparent explanation to the public and media. The next meeting is expected to finalize conclusions before submitting the report to the Permanent Secretary and Minister of Transport for review and preparation of an official announcement.
The project's stakeholders are divided into three main groups: the owner, the contractor, and the supervisor or consultant. For the Sikhiu section, the project owner is the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), the contractor is Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, and the consultant is CSC. In the Rama 2 case, the owner is the Department of Highways, with Italian-Thai Development as the contractor and the Department of Highways also acting as supervisor.Italian-Thai DevelopmentPublic Company Limited is the contractor, and the Department of Highways supervises the Rama 2 project.
"The investigation approach stresses transparency and finding the true root cause. We will not accept vague conclusions such as 'force majeure' or 'accident' without clear evidence, to avoid ambiguous explanations that evade accountability. We are examining whether faults lie with the supervisors, consultants, or contractors, and whether these are individual errors or systemic failures,"said Mr. Jirapong.
He emphasized that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn is taking this matter seriously, with a clear policyto uncover the factswithout preconceived blame, but with reasonable explanations that fully answer societal questions.
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