1 Bumpy drive for the Golden Line’s first ride
The Golden Line gondola 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 2024 New Year festivities.
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 Si Udom and Kalantan stations in Bangkok, a hand dish that had been installed on the road expansion mutual slipped.
Despite these strange Golden Line incidents, the number of passengers using the service hasn’t changed because electric rail transportation is still a more convenient 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 vacation.
In light of the government’s plans to begin reclaiming the electric train compromises so that it can fully utilize a low-cost transportation plan, the plan is likely to be expanded to include the Purple and Red Lines only.
In order to help pay for the promised low-cost electric rail service, the government has suggested imposing a congestion duty on internal city drivers.
2 Wire hole tragedy a harsh lesson
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 event. State Railway of Thailand
A crucial lesson was learned from the catastrophic loss of three lives, including one Chinese expert, one Chinese employee, and one Myanmar employer, when a hole at the Thai-Chinese high-speed coach project in the Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima caved in in late August.
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.
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 in the first phase of the project, which includes the Muak Lek-Lam Takhong pipe.
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 series 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 Van fire exposes dubious practices
The 20 kids and three teachers who were killed when the vehicle they were traveling in slammed and caught fire in Pathum Thani’s Lam Luk Ka city on October 1st, a ceremony honoring them is held. Varuth Hirunyatheb
Concerns over sub-par travel safety were sparked by the dreadful Oct. 1 van fire on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, which claimed the lives of 20 students and three teachers traveling from Uthai Thani on a review vacation.
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.
Chinnaboot Tour, based in Sing Buri, 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 asked to order the inspection of all 13, 426 chartered buses using CNG within 60 days following the incident. 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.
The central committee on land transportation approved a measure that would require large chartered buses to have at least one attendant on board starting from December 11 as yet another safety boost.
The rule mandates that 21-seater buses or larger, hired for excursions geared toward students and the elderly, have at least one on-board attendant per trip to ensure safety in case of an emergency.
4 Rama II’s safety record appals motorists
Six people were killed and nine others were hurt when the steel beams for the M82 Motorway construction project collapsed on Rama II Road in Samut Sakhon’s Muang district on November 29. The Department of Highways
Even the mention of Rama II Road in Bangkok’s southward region evokes unease. It is known for persistent traffic jams and unending roadwork, but it is also known for frequent accidents involving construction projects.
A launching gantry crane and precast concrete segments collided at 4am on November 29th at the Khok Krabue sub-district of Samut Sakhon’s Muang district’s Khok Krabue sub-district. Nine people were hurt in the accident, along with six others.
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 currently being constructed above the highway to provide a different route for those heading south.
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.
Suriya Jungrangreangkit, the minister of transportation, acknowledged that contractor penalties are excessive. Small fines have failed to stop them from committing safety breaches.
The government intends to implement a contractor performance record in order to impose more severe sanctions, including fines, score deductions, and project 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 incompetence and poor oversight.
5 Rare bright spot near the airport terminal
A panoramic view of the interior of the Midfield Satellite Terminal 1 ( SAT-1 ) at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Airports of Thailand
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.
Through welcoming sculptures, the SAT-1 terminal highlights the cultural identity and uniqueness of Thailand. Additionally, the building has a sustainable design that promotes energy efficiency and is in line with the green airport policy.
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 set to reach 130 million.
Suvarnabhumi Airport’s expansion plan will increase its total capacity to 80 million, making it able to accommodate an additional 15 million passengers. The project’s bidding period is scheduled for February of next year.
Additionally, the Suvarnabhumi airport staff has received praise for their ability 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 touched down, taking the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment and assisting all passengers and crew.
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. People poured praise on all those who responded to the incident for their professionalism.