Bangkok, January 17th, 2026
Thailand’s Ministry of Transport has imposed an immediate 15-day suspension on construction activities across 14 contracts involving major contractor Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD), along with some other large-scale projects under the ministry’s oversight. The drastic measure comes in response to two fatal crane collapses within 48 hours this week, which have raised serious concerns about safety standards in the country’s infrastructure sector.
The decision was announced on Friday following back-to-back incidents linked to ITD projects. On Wednesday, January 14th, a massive launching gantry crane collapsed onto a passenger train in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) province, during work on the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail line (Bangkok–Nong Khai section). The accident derailed the train, killing 32 people and injuring dozens more, marking one of Thailand’s deadliest rail-related disasters in recent years. Preliminary investigations indicate structural failure in support equipment caused the crane to fall onto the moving train.
Just 24 hours later, on Thursday, January 15th, another crane collapsed at an elevated highway construction site on Rama II Road (Motorway M82, Section 7) in Samut Sakhon province near Bangkok. The falling crane crushed two vehicles, killing two drivers and injuring several others. Both accidents involved cranes operated by ITD, one of Thailand’s largest and longest-established construction firms, founded in 1958.
Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Transport Ministry, Chirapong Theppithuck, stated that the 15-day halt will enable expert teams to conduct thorough safety inspections across the affected sites. “This pause will allow for detailed assessments to confirm that all safety standards are being met,” he said in an official ministry statement. Results of the inspections will be reported back to the ministry, with potential legal or regulatory actions to follow if violations are found.
The ministry has also established a fact-finding committee to investigate the causes, assign responsibility, and recommend preventive measures to avoid future incidents. This week’s events are the latest in a pattern of serious accidents at ITD sites, including the collapse of a Bangkok skyscraper under construction in 2025 triggered by a powerful earthquake in neighboring Myanmar, which claimed at least 89 lives and led to negligence charges against 23 individuals.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has taken a hard line, ordering the immediate termination of ITD’s contracts on the two accident-hit projects, the high-speed rail segment and the elevated highway, and vowing legal action against the company. The government is prepared to face potential counter lawsuits from the contractor to prioritize public safety, especially with a general election approaching next month.
In response, ITD has expressed condolences to the victims’ families, accepted responsibility for providing care and compensation, and committed to remedies for losses in both incidents.
The suspensions affect multiple high-profile infrastructure initiatives, including parts of the flagship Thai-Chinese high-speed rail network aimed at connecting Thailand to Laos and China.
