Dr. Ae Suchatvee declared the repeated crane collapse onto the Sikhiu train in Korat as shameful and unacceptable. He said it is time to enact an independent safety law, with a central independent agency responsible for prosecuting both civil and criminal cases.
14 Jan 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Suchatvee Suwansawat, prime ministerial candidate and leader of the New Thai Progressive Party, gave an interview while campaigning in Huai Yot District, Trang Province, regarding the crane collapse onto a train in Sikhiu District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. He said it is disgraceful and unacceptable, as crane collapses in large construction projects have repeatedly occurred, including at Lat Krabang and Rama 2 Road, and most recently in Sikhiu, causing deformation of train passenger cars. He warned that without a public safety law, operators and related parties will not fear penalties, and death will become a common risk for the public.
"I pray there will be no loss of life, but the question is why such incidents keep recurring. It is because those negligent never learn their lesson, as Thailand lacks a public safety law and no responsible authority is directly accountable."
Mr. Suchatvee added that every time an incident occurs, the project owners are usually assigned to investigate themselves, which has never led to truth-finding or serious punishment of offenders, causing repeated losses. He emphasized that the New Thai Progressive Party intends to push for a public safety law aligned with disaster management policies. This law would establish an independent central agency with no vested interest in projects to investigate causes and seriously prosecute civil and criminal cases. Negligent parties will be held fully accountable to serve as a deterrent. Without this, repeated collapses like the Office of the Auditor General building or construction failures will continue with no one responsible.
"They do not fear punishment because no one has ever been jailed or seriously fined. It is a system of mutual cover-ups and superficial resolutions. Developed countries have independent agencies that lead investigations and enforce severe penalties, fostering accountability."
Mr. Suchatvee further explained that the public safety law’s principle is to have an independent central agency working transparently, referring cases directly to prosecutors for action, establishing new standards for offenders to face real penalties, including imprisonment and fines. He invited the public to support the New Thai Progressive Party, number 49, to enter parliament and push this law into effect. Without starting change today, unnecessary losses may happen to anyone—whether traveling by train, car, or on the road. No one is exempt, as shown by this incident.