Ministers Pipat and Siripong of the Ministry of Transport held an urgent press conference ordering compensation of up to 2 million baht for victims of the Makkasan train-bus collision, vowed criminal and disciplinary action against those at fault, and announced measures to address railway crossing issues across Bangkok with a three-month deadline to present plans.
At 5:00 p.m. on 18 May 2026, Mr. Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, alongside Mr. Siripong Angkasakulkiat, Deputy Minister of Transport, held a press briefing to clarify facts regarding the train collision with a BMTA bus at the Makkasan railway crossing last Saturday, which resulted in 8 deaths and 30 injuries.
Also present were Mr. Chayatham Promsorn, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport; Mr. Anan Phonnimdaeng, Acting Governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT); Mr. Kittikan Jomduang Charuworapolkul, Director of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA); and Mr. Jiraroat Sukalrat, Director of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP). Representing the government and Ministry of Transport, Mr. Pipat expressed deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and injured, and revealed compensation measures and safety upgrade plans to prevent future tragedies.
The Ministry of Transport explained key points covering compensation, legal proceedings, and short- and long-term solutions as follows.
1. Compensation measures for the deceased and injured.
The Ministry of Transport is coordinating with relevant agencies to provide full compensation and aid to those affected.
In cases of death (initial compensation totaling 2,090,000 baht per victim plus additional support):
BMTA: total payment of 1,750,000 baht, including 1.5 million baht insurance/compulsory motor insurance paid within 7 days, 50,000 baht from partner networks, and full coverage of funeral expenses.
SRT: total payment of 340,000 baht, comprising 80,000 baht initial assistance and funeral costs, with an additional 260,000 baht payable after verifying heirs.
Special additional fund: 300,000 baht from the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection.
For injuries, BMTA covers actual medical costs from 80,000 to 1,000,000 baht (paying any excess beyond the limit), plus 30,000 baht from partner networks and 20,000 baht from the Accident Fund. SRT provides an initial 5,000 baht and additional compensation up to 50,000 baht for ICU cases.
Ongoing care and affected parties: BMTA will cover all property damage to third parties (e.g., surrounding cars and motorcycles) and deploy teams to provide daily psychological support to the injured until hospital discharge. The Prime Minister has ordered additional support from the Department of Rail Transport and the Disaster Relief Fund under the Prime Minister's Office for special assistance.
Mr. Siripong confirmed that the Ministry of Transport will not protect wrongdoers, dividing legal actions into three categories: 1) Criminal offenses: police will prosecute strictly, with SRT as the plaintiff suing the train driver for negligence causing death; 2) Disciplinary offenses: SRT and BMTA will form investigative committees at all levels, and negligent supervisors will be suspended and disciplined immediately; 3) Per Mr. Pipat's directive on 20 April 2026, safety standards under the Rail Act will be upgraded to aviation-level standards, random drug tests will be replaced by 100% blanket testing of all public transport drivers (SRT, BMTA, BKS), and daily alcohol tests before duty will be mandatory with no exceptions.
Currently, eight railway crossings on the Northern and Northeastern lines have been resolved by the Red Line elevated route, leaving 16 on the Eastern line and 3 on the Western/Southern lines awaiting Missing Link construction. The Ministry of Transport has set two-dimensional measures to address the problem.
Dimension 1: Passenger trains (people transport). Immediate term: enforce the strict rule 'barriers down, train stationary,' synchronize barrier systems with traffic lights, and urge the public to stop behind the yellow line.
Mid-term: revise plans to prevent long-distance and suburban trains from entering inner Bangkok. Western and Southern lines will terminate at "Taling Chan Station" (connecting to the Red Line), and the Eastern line at "Lat Krabang Station" (connecting to the Airport Rail Link). BMTA will provide shuttle buses to connect to inner city areas. The government will implement integrated ticketing to keep fares stable, assisting vulnerable groups.
Long-term: accelerate construction of the elevated railway Missing Link (Phaya Thai - Yommarat - Central Station), promote the new central Bangkok station as the main terminal, and cancel the Hua Lamphong Station.
Dimension 2: Freight trains (goods transport). Immediate term: ordered suspension of freight trains entering the city (reducing 10 trains per day), shifting cargo transfer to outer stations (ICD Lat Krabang, Ban Phachi, Nakhon Pathom) with small trucks replacing them. Oil trains are banned from entering Bangkok. Other necessary freight trains may operate only at night with barrier systems at ground-level crossings.
Long-term: develop the Third Ring Road (MR10) per the MR-Map plan to enable freight traffic to bypass the city, and build multimodal transport centers linking road and water transport in the metropolitan area.
Mr. Pipat concluded by ordering the State Railway of Thailand to implement these directives immediately in the urgent term with tangible results. Within three months, they must study comprehensive measures, assess potential impacts, and report monthly to him to ensure timely progress and restore public confidence that such tragic incidents will not recur in the future.