The Prime Minister criticized state agencies for shifting responsibility back and forth and questioned how to proceed with Italian-Thai Development after four incidents occurred within 10 months. He referenced the Office of the Auditor General building collapse case, where no one has been held accountable, and clarified he is not targeting the acting Governor of the State Railway of Thailand but urges contract cancellation and contractor replacement.
At 3:00 p.m. on 15 Jan 2026 GMT+7, at the Government House, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul chaired a meeting to discuss safety measures in transportation construction following the crane collapse incident. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Pipat Ratchakitprakarn; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Anek Laothamatas; Acting Governor of the State Railway of Thailand Anan Phonnimdaeng; Comptroller General Patricia Mongkolvanich; and other related agencies.
The Prime Minister stated that this urgent meeting was prompted by the recent incidents related to the high-speed rail project in Sikhio District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, including yesterday's accident and a similar event this morning involving the Rama II elevated road project. Tragically, these incidents caused multiple fatalities and all involved the same contractor. He informed the meeting that these problems have not just arisen recently but have recurred over the past 10 months. Notably, since April, there was the earthquake that caused the collapse of the Office of the Auditor General building, followed shortly by the collapse of an elevated expressway structure on Rama II, causing damages. Just yesterday and this morning further incidents occurred before any meeting could be held. Therefore, he convened this meeting to consider measures, legal amendments, and ministerial regulations to address these issues. He noted that current construction control laws and procurement regulations for contractors likely have problems.
The Prime Minister further said that following the Office of the Auditor General building incident, he learned the contract has not been canceled nor adjusted because the building's construction is incomplete; adjusting would require rebuilding the structure. Despite all contracts having guarantees and bank guarantees, no data requests have been made. Construction was merely suspended temporarily without any action against the contractor, such as blacklisting or declaring abandonment of work. Soon after, the Rama II incident occurred, which was repaired and returned to normal use. He added that the Ministry of Transport has encountered many issues, including the collapse of the high-speed rail tunnel and double-track railway, which resulted in contractor personnel fatalities, as well as yesterday's and this morning's incidents. He was questioned on why he targeted the acting Governor of the State Railway of Thailand. He clarified that because all fatalities were passengers using the railway, and the State Railway operates the trains, it must be held responsible for its passengers. While the contractor is liable for the incidents, the State Railway is accountable to the service users. Currently, there is no appointed Governor, only an acting deputy governor.
However, when incidents occur, someone must be held responsible, and he urged everyone to understand this. The damages can be divided into two parts: first, the state as the public service provider responsible for citizens traveling via public transportation must be accountable to the users; second, the state must seek compensation and enforce contractual or other measures to ensure safety and prevent future incidents in upcoming projects.
The Prime Minister continued that as head of government, he questioned how to proceed with Italian-Thai Development after four incidents in 10 months. He said he could avoid the issue by claiming a caretaker government status, but government agencies must act to clarify and assure the public. He emphasized that responsibility remains with the government and, as head of government, he will not accept merely suspending construction for two weeks before resuming without consequences.
The Prime Minister added that before the meeting, he was informed the high-speed rail project crane collapse site was 85% complete, with only 15% remaining. If the contract is canceled and a new contractor must complete the remaining 15%, the cost involved will be substantial. He believes the contract covers this and that claims must be made against the contractor for abandoning work. He framed these remarks as a guideline because today's meeting included the Secretary-General of the Council of State, the Attorney General, and the Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, who must conclude on the incidents from yesterday and today. He sees this as manageable since it involves a single contractor.
The Prime Minister also stated that as the project owner, the state should not fear regulations and must find ways to take action. He criticized the Comptroller General's Department for saying it must wait for agencies to submit proposals concerning blacklisting and declaring abandonment, calling this back-and-forth unacceptable. There are laws, control mechanisms, the State's legal advisors, project owners, budget holders, and the Council of Engineers who can provide engineering opinions. Today, clear measures are needed to restore public confidence, address the feelings of those who have suffered losses, and assure foreign investors that Thailand offers reliable transport and logistics infrastructure, preventing wasted investments.