The Prime Minister has instructed the Transport Ministry to terminate two contracts with Italian-Thai after crane collapses over trains in Sikhio District and Rama 2 and to blacklist the company. He noted that old images from the Bhumjaithai era showing contract signings with Chinese firms are being used deliberately for political attacks and urged an end to mudslinging.
On 15 Jan 2025 at 17:00 GMT+7, at Government House, Anutin Charnvirakul, the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, held a press conference after a meeting on the crane collapse issue. He said the meeting included all relevant agencies due to the serious public safety risks. The conclusion was to have the Transport Ministry cancel contracts with the contractor and pursue all legal actions. The ministry was tasked with preparing contract termination procedures, which are already provided by law. The Transport Ministry will handle the details. The contracts were canceled to prevent further danger from the two projects. Blacklisting will follow as advised by the Attorney General and the Office of the Council of State to ensure the country's image. When asked if other contracts with the company would be canceled, Anutin said they would focus on today’s issue first; future decisions will wait for the next government since the current parliament is dissolved. Regarding whether the crane collapse at the Audit Office building was included, he said the management has already been held accountable. He mentioned the building’s disappearance means no further work payments can be made, so action must continue. Since these incidents happened multiple times with the same contractor, the government cannot allow this contractor to continue working for the state.
A new contractor must be found to take over the work.
When asked if the remaining work after contract termination would require a new bidding process, Anutin said that if 80% of the work is done, the remaining 20% must be completed by someone else. If additional damages occur, the government can claim from the project insurance. If extra budget is needed, the government can seek compensation from the original contractor who abandoned the work. On whether officials would face legal action, he said all steps will follow existing laws. Regarding the recently introduced contractor record book regulation, the Director-General of the Comptroller General’s Department reported it is being finalized and expected to be enforced by late January or early February. This applies only to future projects, not retroactively. The regulation was started by former Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit and is positive, but requires ministerial regulations and related rules being developed by the Comptroller General’s Department.
Dismisses link to Chinese company, calls allegations political.
When asked about accusations against Bhumjaithai Party regarding contracts with Chinese companies, Anutin said it is unrelated. When asked if he believed it was a political attack, he replied, "Of course, it is." He emphasized that all procurement followed regulations and was done by the Thai government, not the party. He called for an end to mudslinging between political parties, urging peace for the country's sake. If politicians keep fighting, the public will be dissatisfied. Asked about the status of the State Railway of Thailand governor, the Prime Minister said the deputy governor is acting in the role. When asked if campaigning should be paused over the weekend, Anutin said he has already assigned clear responsibilities. He added that his campaigning has no fixed schedule; he attends when he has time, but prioritizes national duties.
Asked if he would visit the incident sites, the Prime Minister said he was unsure; if he has free time, he would go, but not during official working hours.