The acting governor of the State Railway of Thailand is urgently reviewing whether contracts for dual-track rail projects 3-4 have been breached. He revealed initial compensation of 340,000 baht per person and plans to discuss using around 1 million baht from project insurance. Civil lawsuits against responsible companies for damages are also being considered.
At 17:30 on 15 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Anan Phonimdaeng, Acting Governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), said in an interview after a meeting with Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul that the Prime Minister assigned them to examine whether the contractors breached contract terms and if contract cancellation is possible. The SRT must review contracts and, if breaches are found, consider termination. The initial focus is on contracts 3-4 (dual-track construction in Sikhio District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province), while other contracts will also be inspected to prevent future incidents.
Regarding compensation, the SRT will pay 340,000 baht per person. This includes approximately 1 million baht from project insurance and other sources such as social security, which will be assessed on a case-by-case basis since individual entitlements differ. For the two injured foreigners, basic compensation will be provided first, with further details to be reviewed later.
As for track repairs, efforts will be expedited to remove the steel framework currently suspended above. Today, four large cranes have been brought on site, and work is scheduled to begin on 16 Jan. Subsequently, damaged rail sections will be repaired, expected to take about seven days. This work will not affect SRT train operations because an alternate route via Buayai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, to Ubon Ratchathani Province is available.
Meanwhile, Mr. Anan also stated, that damages to the SRT, including trains and locomotives, as well as delays to other services, will lead to civil lawsuits against the contractors. The total damage value has not yet been assessed, but initially, the two damaged trains are valued at about 105 million baht. This does not yet include compensation for the deceased.