Thailand has been rocked by a second major construction disaster within 24 hours, raising urgent questions about infrastructure safety standards across the country. The latest incident, a crane collapse on a busy expressway near Bangkok, occurred on Thursday 15 January 2026, just one day after a separate construction accident involving a train killed at least 32 people.
Details of the Latest Bangkok Crane Collapse
The accident happened at approximately 9 a.m. on the Rama 2 Road elevated expressway in Samut Sakhon province. According to the government's Public Relations Department, a construction crane collapsed at the site of an ongoing road extension project. The wreckage, which included massive metal girders, trapped at least two vehicles.
Rescue operations were immediately launched. While there was no immediate official confirmation of fatalities, the Facebook page of Fire & Rescue Thailand reported that at least one person was killed. This major artery leading out of Bangkok has become notorious in recent years for a series of construction accidents, some of them fatal.
Aftermath of the Deadly Nakhon Ratchasima Rail Tragedy
The crane collapse came as the nation was still reeling from a catastrophic accident the previous day, Wednesday 14 January, in Nakhon Ratchasima province. A launching gantry crane fell onto a moving passenger train, derailing and crushing parts of it. Provincial governor Anuphong Suksomnit confirmed that the search for survivors ended on Wednesday night.
Officials initially believed 171 people were aboard the train's three carriages. While three passengers were listed as missing, authorities are investigating the possibility they disembarked earlier. Provincial police chief Narongsak Promta stated police are verifying all passenger statuses and collecting evidence, with no charges yet pressed.
The tragedy claimed an international victim, with South Korea's Foreign Ministry confirming a South Korean national in his late 30s was among the dead.
Contractor History and Broader Safety Concerns
The rail accident has sparked particular outrage due to the contractor involved. The project's contractor is Italian-Thai Development (Italthai), with a Chinese company responsible for design and construction supervision. Italthai was also the co-lead contractor for the State Audit Building in Bangkok, which collapsed during a major earthquake in March last year, killing about 100 people.
Anan Phonimdaeng, acting governor of the State Railway of Thailand, confirmed the contractor details. Italthai posted a statement expressing condolences and pledging to pay compensation to victims' families and cover hospital expenses.
The two-stage high-speed rail project, with an investment over 520 billion baht ($16.8 billion), is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. This is not its first incident; a tunnel on the same route collapsed in August 2024, killing three workers.
The involvement of Chinese companies in both this project and several accident-prone expressway extensions around Bangkok has drawn significant scrutiny. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the government was aware of the rail accident reports and had expressed condolences.
As work continued to clear the train wreckage on Thursday, the focus turned to the latest accident on Rama 2 Road, underscoring a pressing national crisis in construction and infrastructure safety.
