Thailand halts major construction contracts after deadly crane collapses

The Transport Ministry ordered an immediate 15-day suspension of work on 14 contracts involving Italian-Thai Development PCL and directed other large ministry-commissioned projects to stop for up to 15 days while expert safety teams carry out inspections, after two consecutive crane collapses killed 34 people and raised urgent questions about construction oversight.

The first collapse occurred above a high-speed rail train in Nakhon Ratchasima, where a gantry fell onto a moving train and derailed cars, killing 32 passengers. The following day a gantry launcher collapsed on the outskirts of Bangkok near the Rama II elevated highway project, crushing two vehicles and killing two drivers. Officials linked both incidents to equipment used on projects involving Italian-Thai Development PCL, one of Thailand’s largest contractors.

Chirapong Theppithuck, deputy permanent secretary of the Transport Ministry, said the temporary halts would allow expert teams to conduct detailed inspections to ensure safety standards were met and to report findings back to the ministry. The ministry said inspection results would determine whether legal or regulatory action was required.

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul chaired a crisis meeting after the two collapses and ordered concrete remedial measures. He said, "The government sees this as a danger to people’s lives and property and has instructed the transport minister to terminate the contracts," and required a formal report before operations could resume. He also directed steps to remedy victims’ losses and to restore public and investor confidence in the country's infrastructure program.

The suspension affects high-profile projects including concrete works on an elevated stretch of the northeastern high-speed rail line intended to link Thailand with China through Laos and portions of the Rama II elevated highway outside Bangkok. The Transport Ministry told contractors to stop work and prepare for inspections that officials said would review equipment, lifting procedures, maintenance records and contractor compliance with safety regulations.

Italian-Thai Development PCL, founded in 1958 by Italian and Thai partners, acknowledged responsibility to provide care, compensation and remedies to those affected. The company told the stock exchange it would compensate victims and indicated that two named contracts remained in effect while it addresses the incidents. Coverage of previous accidents has noted that several recent fatal incidents in Thailand involved the same contractor, adding to public concern.

Safety failures in a rapidly expanding national infrastructure program risk deeper disruption. Thailand is pursuing a wide-ranging build out of highways, elevated rail and high-speed rail lines, increasing the number of high-risk construction sites and amplifying the consequences of equipment or procedural lapses. A prior collapse in 2025 of a partially built Bangkok tower after a major earthquake in neighboring Myanmar killed at least 89 people and led to negligence charges against multiple individuals, underscoring regulatory and accountability challenges.

Ministry officials said expert inspection teams will complete reviews and submit findings to the Transport Ministry, which has signaled readiness to pursue administrative or legal measures if inspections uncover negligence or noncompliance. The government’s immediate choices will shape not only compensation and accountability for victims but also investor confidence and the timeline for some of Thailand’s largest infrastructure projects.