The Senate convened an urgent debate on the train-bus collision, demanding the Transport Minister take responsibility. They criticized the reactive policy of banning trains from entering inner Bangkok as locking the stable after the horse has bolted, and condemned the careless disruption of travel continuity that shifts hardship onto the public. Tags: [Senate, train accident, Transport Minister, Bangkok, public transport, policy criticism]
At 10:30 a.m. on 19 May 2026, Mr. Boonsong Noisophon, Deputy President of the Senate, chaired the Senate meeting, which proceeded to consider an urgent verbal motion submitted by Senators Wutthichat Kalyanamit and Lt. Wutthipong Pongsuwan. The motion addressed the accident where a train collided with a public bus at the Asoke-Din Daeng railway crossing on 16 May 2026, urging the government to take corrective action.Tags: [Senate meeting, urgent motion, train-bus collision, Asoke-Din Daeng, government action]
Senator Wutthichat expressed surprise that the train staff gave a signal to stop, yet the train continued moving, highlighting a failure in coordination. He said if everyone followed procedures properly, such incidents would not occur. He questioned the government on whether relevant authorities have seriously enforced traffic laws, including the Motor Vehicle Act and railway regulations.Tags: [Senator Wutthichat, train accident, coordination failure, law enforcement, traffic regulations]
Meanwhile, Lt. Wutthipong called on the Governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to apologize to the public, noting eight fatalities, 32 injuries, and damage to 10 vehicles. He emphasized that accountability should extend beyond minor staff to senior officials. He cited serious blind spots, including train drivers testing positive for drugs, and lack of radio communication response after two attempts. He insisted drug testing should be mandatory, even suggesting the parliament check its own members for methamphetamine use and remove any offenders.Tags: [Lt. Wutthipong, SRT, accountability, drug testing, train accident, parliament]
Senator Nantana Nantaroraphat remarked that superficially, society might blame Thai people's lack of discipline or DNA, which cannot be changed. She said the root problem lies with the government. In countries like Japan or many European nations, transport ministers would resign after such incidents. In Thailand, officials evade responsibility regardless of the scale of damage. She criticized proposals to build a tunnel under Asoke intersection without awareness that a subway already exists below. Some have suggested terminating trains at the Bangkok outskirts, transferring passengers to buses and then motorcycles, which she opposed. The government should rethink and invest in modern train systems, addressing level crossings between roads and railway lines. She urged action rather than empty talk to prevent future tragedies.Tags: [Senator Nantana, government responsibility, infrastructure, Bangkok, public transport, safety, urban planning]
Senator Pornchai Wittayalertpan said the tragedy was reported worldwide, raising questions about Thailand's outdated infrastructure and inadequate safety. He strongly opposed the idea of banning trains from entering inner Bangkok, calling it a policy of locking the stable after the horse has bolted, which shifts the burden onto 40,000 daily commuters. He warned against the government's simplistic solutions that disrupt travel continuity and impose hardship on citizens. He urged using the loss of eight lives to build genuine engineering safety measures that truly protect the public.Tags: [Senator Pornchai, infrastructure, safety, train policy, public burden, engineering solutions]
After the senators completed their discussions, the Senate voted to forward their opinions and recommendations to the government for further consideration.Tags: [Senate, voting, government recommendations, train accident]