Troubled times for Thailand’s transport sector
Mishaps and troubles cast a shadow over the president’s attempts to get the country moving more quickly.
1. Busy drive for the Golden Line just beginning its journey
The Golden Line rail system’s first full year of operation in July 2023 was the subject of press coverage.
A wheel of a Golden Line train slammed into a vehicle near Si Thepha place on Theparak Road in Samut Prakan around the close of the New Year’s Eve events in 2024.
Happily, no one was hurt, though the incident stretched public trust in the security of the system.
The Pink Line, the company’s mini monorail system, fell on December 24, 2023, causing identical damage as a result.
On March 28 another event followed. Between the Kalantan and Si Udom stations in Bangkok, a hand dish installed on the road expansion joint slipped, causing the tray and other debris to drop.
Despite these unexpected incidents involving the Golden Line, the number of passengers using the company has remained constant because electric rail transportation is still a quicker mode of transportation, especially during rush hours.
That is why the Pheu Thai Party-led state has established a cap on the cost of using the state’s electric rail network, which is 20 baht per trip.
In light of the government’s plans to begin reclaiming the electric train agreements so it can fully utilize a low-cost transportation plan, the plan is likely to be expanded to include the remainder.
In addition, the government has suggested levying a congestion duty on internal town drivers to help pay for the company’s promised low-cost electric rail service.
A crucial training has been learned from the catastrophic loss of three lives, including one Chinese expert, one Taiwanese, and one employee from Myanmar, when a hole at the Thai-Chinese high-speed train task in the Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima caved in in late August.
2. Wire hole drama a painful lesson
The accident took place despite China having a lot of experience building high-speed coach systems in its own region, which, according to observers, underscores the value of additional safety measures for projects here.
In the Pak Chong city of Nakhon Ratchasima in August, rescuers enter a section of the high-speed railroad tunnel that has collapsed. Two Taiwanese and one worker from Myanmar were killed in the affair. ( Photo: State Railway of Thailand )
A document attributed the cave-in to certain geographical factors. Pichet Kunadhamraks, director-general of the Department of Rail Transport ( DRT), said staff would adopt more real-time monitoring of geological conditions at railway sites, particularly underground excavations.
The hole where the three were killed belongs to the initial stage of the project’s Muak Lek-Lam Takhong project.
The high-speed initiative will join Bangkok with Nakhon Ratchasima.
According to end on June 14, 2025, operate on this segment is now about 77 % finish.
As for great information in the travel industry, the second 420-kilometre part of the southwestern double-track station program, connecting Nakhon Pathom with Chumphon, opened in June. The line reduces the journey day by a few hours.
Work on the 323.10km double-track rail, connecting Den Chai region in Phrae with Mae Sai region in Chiang Rai, which began on Feb 15, 2023, is also on training to complete with an opening in 2028 as planned.
3. Bus fire exposes shady practices
Concerns over sub-par transport safety were sparked by the tragic Oct. 1 bus fire on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, which claimed the lives of 20 students and three teachers traveling from Uthai Thani on a study trip.
The 20 students and three teachers who were killed on October 1 when the bus they were traveling in sprang into flames in Pathum Thani’s Lam Luk Ka district, and they were honored at a ceremony. ( Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)
When the bus crashed and caught fire on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Pathum Thani’s Lam Luk Ka district on October 1, Wat Khao Praya Sangkharam School in Lan Sak district of Uthai Thani, it was carrying 39 students and six teachers. Twenty students and three teachers were killed and three others were seriously hurt in the fire.
The Sing Buri-based Chinnaboot Tour owned the vehicle. The driver, Samarn Chanphut, 48, fled the scene before surrendering later. A gas leak was discovered during an inspection of the ominous bus.
The bus had 11 tanks containing compressed natural gas ( CNG ), and a fuel line, which carries gas from a tank to the engine, had come loose, causing the leak. Six of the 11 CNG tanks installed on the bus were registered, while the others were not.
The Department of Land Transport ( DLT) was prompted by the incident to mandate that all 13, 426 chartered buses using CNG be inspected within 60 days. As of Nov 22, 7, 484 of them had passed the safety inspection while 1, 531 failed and were ordered off the road. The rest had yet to be inspected.
In the absence of proper safety measures from the DLT, the Transport Ministry has also imposed a temporary ban on the use of buses carrying students on trips using CNG.
A measure mandating large chartered buses have at least one attendant on board was approved by the central committee on land transportation on November 11 as yet another safety boost.
To ensure safety in the event of an emergency, the rule mandates that 21-seater buses or larger that are hired for excursions geared toward students and the elderly have at least one on-board attendant per trip.
4. Rama II’s safety record appals motorists
Rama II Road is simply mentioned in the context of unease for those traveling south from Bangkok. It is also known for frequent accidents resulting from construction projects, such as traffic jams and endless roadwork.
Six people were killed and nine others were hurt when the M82 Motorway construction project’s steel beams collapsed on Rama II Road on November 29 in Samut Sakhon’s Muang district. ( Photo: The Department of Highways )
The most recent tragedy occurred on November 29 at 4 a.m. when a launching gantry crane and precast concrete segments collided at a section of the elevated Ekkachai-Ban Phaeo Intercity Motorway 82 ( M82 ) in the Khok Krabue sub-district of Samut Sakhon’s Muang district. Six people died in the accident, and nine others were hurt.
Rama II Road, officially known as Highway 35 ( Thon Buri-Pak Tho ), spans 84 kilometres, connecting Bangkok to Ratchaburi’s Pak Tho district.
Since its opening in 1973, it has been plagued with never-ending construction projects, including a project to expand the road to 10 traffic lanes.
A motorway is being constructed above the highway to provide a different route for those traveling to the south at the moment.
Between 2018 and January 2024, 2, 242 accidents were recorded on Rama II Road, resulting in 132 deaths and 1, 305 injuries. Public outcry has intensified, calling for stricter safety measures and accountability.
Transportation Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit acknowledged that contractor penalties are too low. Small fines have failed to stop them from committing safety breaches.
The government intends to implement a contractor performance record to impose stricter sanctions, including fines, score deductions, and project suspension suspensions. However, creating and enforcing these regulations will take time.
Recurring accidents have increased the deadline for projects on Rama II Road from June to September 2025.
Meanwhile, the public must navigate a dangerous road, uncertain of when safety improvements will materialise. In the interim, road users will have to contend with the risks caused by incompetence and poor oversight.
5. Rare bright spot in the airport terminal
Thailand’s air travel industry has been a bright spot this year despite the alarming news about transport accidents, with Suvarnabhumi Airport’s Midfield Satellite 1 ( SAT-1 ) terminal receiving a Prix Versailles award for exceptional exterior design at the Unesco headquarters in Paris in December.
A panoramic view of the interior of the Midfield Satellite Terminal 1 ( SAT-1 ) at Suvarnabhumi Airport. ( Photo: Airports of Thailand )
Through welcoming sculptures, the SAT-1 terminal highlights the cultural identity and uniqueness of Thailand. Additionally, the building has a sustainable design that is in line with the green airport policy and promotes energy efficiency.
Opened in September last year, the SAT-1 terminal is aimed at boosting the airport’s passenger-handling capacity to 60 million per year, up from 45 million. The airport can now accommodate 94 flights per hour, an increase from 68 flights, with the third runway opening in October of this year.
The four-storey high facility has two underground floors, occupying a total indoor usable area of 251, 400 square metres and an apron area of more than 260, 000m².
The Airports of Thailand’s ( AoT ) efforts to elevate airport services have been strengthened by the Prix Versailles award in order to realize the goal of making Thailand a regional aviation hub.
This year, there were 119 million passengers traveling to Thailand, with the figure expected to rise to 130 million next year.
The Suvarnabhumi airport’s expansion plan will increase its total capacity to 80 million, allowing for an additional 15 million passengers. The project’s bidding period is scheduled for February of next year.
Additionally, Suvarnabhumi Airport employees have received praise for their capacity to respond to emergencies.
On May 21, Singapore Airlines flight SQ321, with 211 passengers and 18 crew, was forced to make an emergency landing at the airport after experiencing severe air turbulence.
A rescue operation began as soon as the aircraft landed, assisting all passengers and crew and transporting the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Six people suffered severe injuries, 39 had moderate injuries, while the rest suffered minor injuries on the London-Singapore flight, during which a 73-year-old British man died of a suspected heart attack. Regards were given to the professionalism of all those involved in the investigation.
