Trains vs traffic: What safety experts say about Bangkok’s deadly blackspots

A cargo train ploughed into a public bus at 3.35pm on May 16, sparking an inferno that claimed the lives of eight passengers and left dozens more injured. Police have charged the bus driver, train driver, and a station signalman with reckless conduct leading to fatalities. The train driver was found to be operating without a railway licence and while under the influence of cannabis and methamphetamine.

However, transport experts argue that these individual failures are merely symptoms of a deeper malaise infecting Thailand’s safety regulations.

“The accident happened not just because of human error,” insisted Sumet Ongkittikul, Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) research director for transportation and logistics policy.

He pointed to a string of long‑standing problems, including reckless bus driver behaviour, flawed railway crossing design, lax train operator practices, and substandard safety infrastructure.

Bangkok’s chaotic traffic adds to the danger, he said, noting that road infrastructure and driver behaviour repeatedly create high-risk situations at rail crossings where trains are supposed to have the right of way.

Video clips show the bus straddling the tracks at the Asoke-Phetchaburi crossing, stuck in traffic and unable to move as the train approached. The train driver, meanwhile, failed to apply the brakes in time despite being informed that the track ahead was blocked.

While the bus driver drew strong public condemnation for stopping on the tracks – a manoeuvre prohibited by traffic law – commuters argue that Bangkok’s notorious gridlock encourages such behaviour. They note that stopping to leave a gap at that congested intersection simply invites other drivers to cut in, making forward progress almost impossible.

Sumet said the Cabinet should use its power under the new Rail Transport Act to launch an independent investigation, and task it with untangling the causes of the accident and presenting concrete safety proposals to prevent a recurrence.

“The investigative committee would work in parallel with the police,” Sumet explained, emphasising that to ensure absolute independence, it must exclude representatives from the government, the rail operator, or related agencies. “Conflicts of interest arise too often when the Ministry of Transport or the railway authority investigates itself,” he said.

Safety questions for Bangkok

Prof Dr Kasem Choocharukul, head of the Civil Engineering Department at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Engineering, said the Asoke-Phetchaburi intersection was a prime example of Bangkok’s oversaturated road conditions.

“This stretch of road is short at only 130 metres, but it has to carry traffic from various directions,” noted Kasem, who also leads the Thai Road Assessment Program (ThaiRAP).

“This creates numerous traffic conflict points, causing both persistent gridlock and also heightened accident risk, especially when road users attempt to push through simultaneously in a tightly packed space.”

Sumet explained that motorists tend to get accustomed to high-risk habits at chaotic bottlenecks – including stopping directly on rail tracks.

“Then, all it takes is a simple error to trigger an accident that leads to multiple deaths,” he said.

Initial investigations showed the train driver applied the brakes 100 metres before the crossing, but the momentum of the heavy freight made it impossible to stop in time.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has identified at least 125 high-risk accident locations across its 50 districts. Yet despite safety work to upgrade roughly 115 of those accident blackspots in 2023, Bangkok continues to record around 800 to 900 road deaths annually.

Data from the Thai Road Safety Collaboration Centre reveals that many blackspots repeatedly experience severe crashes due to unsafe road geometry, confusing intersections, inadequate lighting, and unclear signage.

The human factor

Prommin Kantiya, chairperson of the Accident Prevention Network (APN), has urged the government to implement three urgent measures in response to the train-bus collision.

First, the state must integrate data systems of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), police, and traffic authorities. Second, it must accelerate upgrades of rail crossings and unauthorised passage points nationwide. Finally, it should introduce two‑tier barriers to prevent vehicles from encroaching on the tracks.

This approach aligns with the international “Safe System” principle. Recognising that human error is inevitable, this approach mandates urban design that prevents individual mistakes from causing deadly accidents.

Kasem said technology like artificial intelligence (AI) could also be integrated into traffic management systems to help lower accident risks. For example, if a car is detected on a railway, warning signs should immediately go up to prevent a collision.

“Technology and systems aside, road users should also abide by laws to ensure safety,” he emphasised.

What action has been taken so far?

The Transport Ministry has issued instructions for trains not to advance along the track if safety barriers at road intersections fail to come down.

Meanwhile, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, which operates bus services in the capital, stated it would deploy special patrols at intersections to ensure buses do not halt over rail tracks.

Also, the SRT has been issued with a reminder that cargo trains are permitted to operate in central Bangkok only at nighttime, between 10pm and 4am. The train involved in the accident was operating in the afternoon due to schedule delays.

In addition, Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has ordered a study on the feasibility of cancelling or reducing passenger train operations along central Bangkok routes that intersect with roads.

However, his move caused an outcry among city commuters, who said banning trains from inner Bangkok would add to their transport costs.

“For me, the train is the cheapest and most convenient way of getting from Chachoengsao to my work in Bangkok every day,” said one female commuter.

Opposition People’s Party MP Parit Wacharasindhu dismissed the move as a superficial, knee-jerk response, arguing it would just increase burdens on city commuters.

According to a recent survey, banning trains from central Bangkok would increase monthly commuting costs by between 1,320 and 3,300 baht per person.