Thailand’s latest crane collapse killed two people near Bangkok on Thursday, coming one day after a separate crane failure derailed a passenger train in the country’s northeast and left at least 32 dead.
Police said the Thursday crane incident happened in Samut Sakhon province, where a crane working on an elevated highway project fell onto a road and crushed vehicles. The earlier disaster happened in Nakhon Ratchasima province, when a construction crane working on a high-speed rail project fell onto a moving train, causing a derailment and a brief fire.
Second fatal crane accident in two days
Two people died after a crane collapsed onto a road in Samut Sakhon province, near Thailand’s capital, according to police. Police Colonel Sitthiporn Kasi, superintendent of the local district police station, said the crane was part of an elevated highway construction project and fell onto the roadway below.
A police representative from the same station told Reuters that five people were injured in the Samut Sakhon incident. The New York Times reported that the collapse occurred on the outskirts of Bangkok on an expressway that authorities described as accident-prone, and said it killed at least two people.
Train derailment in the northeast
On Wednesday, a passenger train derailed in northeastern Thailand after a construction crane fell onto the train while it was moving, killing at least 32 people, according to Reuters. Reuters reported that 66 people were injured and that there were 195 people on board.
CNN also reported at least 32 dead and said the crash happened after a construction crane toppled onto the train and caused it to derail in northeastern Thailand. CNN reported that the incident occurred about 9:10 a.m. local time, roughly three hours into the train’s trip from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani province.
Reuters said the derailment happened in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, about 230 km northeast of Bangkok, and involved a train traveling from the capital to Ubon Ratchathani province. Reuters also said the crane was being used on a high-speed rail project and that its collapse struck the moving train, triggering a derailment and a brief fire.
CNN reported that images and video from the scene showed a damaged crane on the tracks and overturned carriages, while rescue teams searched through twisted metal and rubble. CNN also reported that the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Public Office said at least 66 people were injured, including eight in critical condition.
Investigations, compensation, and legal action
After the train crash, Transport Minister Piphat Ratchakitprakan said a full investigation would be launched, according to Reuters. Reuters also reported that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul instructed the State Railway of Thailand to ensure compensation for victims’ families and said authorities needed to investigate and pursue legal action.
Following the Thursday expressway collapse, Thailand’s government planned to suspend all aboveground construction nationwide while it investigated the incidents, according to the New York Times. The New York Times reported that the cause of the Samut Sakhon crane failure was still unclear.
Contractor links and a troubled roadway
Thailand’s transport minister said the expressway contractor, Italian-Thai Development, was also responsible for the construction site where a crane fell onto the passenger train the day before, according to the New York Times. The New York Times also reported that the government ordered a review of around a dozen ongoing construction projects involving Italian-Thai Development.
Al Jazeera reported that Thailand’s transport minister said the same construction company was connected to both crane collapses, citing local news outlets. Al Jazeera also reported that the company named in connection with both incidents was Italian-Thai Development and said it was responsible for a segment of a high-speed rail project backed by China.
The New York Times reported that the Thursday crash happened about 9:15 a.m. in front of a hotel along the outbound lanes of Rama 2 Road, and cited a hotel security guard who said he saw the elevated roadway “snap in half.” Al Jazeera reported that local media said the accident occurred in front of the Paris Inn Hotel and said footage showed dust and debris after the crane fell.
The New York Times described Rama 2 Road as known for frequent accidents and reported that Thailand’s Department of Highways recorded at least 140 deaths from more than 2,200 construction-related incidents on that road between 2018 and 2025, along with more than 1,300 injuries in the same period. Al Jazeera reported that the Rama II Expressway has been the site of several fatal accidents in recent years and has been referred to as “Death Road.”
