A mother weeps as her daughter and Korean son-in-law died from a "crane falling onto a train" just one day after registering their marriage in Bangkok.
On 14 Jan 2026, an accident occurred when a crane used in the construction of a double-track railway collapsed onto Special Express Train No. 21, running from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal to Ubon Ratchathani. The incident happened between Nong Nam Khun Station and Sikhiu Station at Ban Thanon Kot, Sikhiu Subdistrict, Sikhiu District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, causing the train to derail and a severe fire, resulting in numerous injuries and fatalities.
On 15 Jan 2026, reporters visited Nong Phai Village, Wang Hin Subdistrict, Wang Hin District, Sisaket Province, where the family lost two members: Ms. Surattiyakon Kanya, 35, and her Korean husband Kim Yongho, 37. Upon arrival, relatives and villagers were helping prepare the venue to receive the bodies of the deceased.
Mrs. Lamyeong Kanya, 60, mother of Ms. Surattiyakon, said her daughter and Korean husband had dated for 10 years before returning to Thailand for the second time to register their marriage. They traveled from Korea back to their hometown in Sisaket Province on 19 Dec 2025 to live and tour the area.
They then went to register their marriage at the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Bangkok on 13 Jan 2026. They boarded Special Express Train No. 21, the same train involved in the accident, intending to return to their hometown in Wang Hin District to register locally, but the fatal incident occurred beforehand.
She said she has two children; the deceased is her second child. Her daughter had two children with her previous Thai husband. Despite the stepchildren, the current Korean husband loved her children and grandchildren deeply and was willing to register the marriage. Her daughter had worked as a masseuse in Korea for four years, sending money home monthly and was the family's pillar. She is uncertain how to cope without this pillar.
At around 10 a.m. yesterday, someone informed her that her daughter and Korean husband died due to the crane falling on the train. She is deeply saddened because they were good, hardworking people who wanted to build a family and had a promising life together. She urges relevant agencies to provide help, compensation, and take responsibility for the accident. She will also have to care for the two grandchildren who lost their mother.
Meanwhile, a check of Ms. Surattiyakon's Facebook showed her last posts were photos taken at the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok—both solo and with her Korean husband—with the caption "Successfully accomplished."