SAMUT SAKHON, THAILAND – Engineers and officials identified serious technical and safety failures after a deadly crane collapse on Rama II Road, prompting a nationwide construction halt for major projects run by Italian-Thai Development.
Engineers flag critical support and hydraulic flaws
On 16 January 2026, Chulert Jitjuajun, vice president of the Thai Structural Engineers Association, inspected the Special Highway No. 82 construction site on Rama II Road in Mueang Samut Sakhon, where the crane collapse had killed and injured people. After reviewing damage on site, aerial images and footage taken before the incident, he mainly blamed errors in the technical process. The crane’s support feet had been placed on the thinnest part of a concrete segment instead of on thicker, more load-bearing zones, causing them to punch through the rear of the segment and trigger the collapse.
“The placement of the support legs was most likely wrong and did not correspond to the most load-bearing areas of the concrete girder.”
said Chulert.
He also identified defects in the hydraulic equipment, focusing on a safety collar that was meant to prevent the shaft of a hydraulic jack from buckling. The collar had not enclosed the shaft over a full 360 degrees and required bolts were missing, leaving visible gaps through which the shaft could be seen, indicating reduced stability. Chulert stressed that under engineering rules the collar must completely surround the shaft and be securely locked, and said documented defects on several photos could have allowed the shaft to buckle or detach, undermining the overall stability of the system.
Preliminary causes named, but probe not complete
From the association’s perspective, two likely main causes emerged: lapses in engineering diligence, including incorrect positioning of the support legs and missing distribution beams for proper load transfer, and substandard or defective equipment, particularly the incomplete hydraulic collar. At the same time, Chulert urged caution.
“This assessment is based on initial assumptions because we still lack detailed data from the assembly process.”
said Chulert, noting that there were no complete technical documents or a joint evaluation with the construction firm yet.
He said only further information would clarify whether the work had complied with prevailing engineering standards. Until then, any conclusions about responsibility or systemic failures remained provisional.
Transport ministry freezes 14 ITD contracts
In parallel, the government reacted with sweeping measures. On 16 January 2026, Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn convened a crisis meeting on transport safety, following an order from Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to terminate two contracts with Italian-Thai Development (ITD) and temporarily halt all other ITD construction projects. In total, 14 contracts were suspended for 15 days to allow safety inspections, affecting numerous major road and rail schemes.
The ministry set up a “Fact-Finding Committee” to review the affected projects, determine the causes of the accidents, identify those responsible and propose measures to prevent future incidents. It was chaired by the permanent deputy secretary-general of the ministry, supported by safety and technical departments. In addition, a “Committee for Monitoring and Improving Safety Standards in Construction and Public Transport” (Order No. 121) was created to act as a steering mechanism for safety standards across the entire system, from construction through operation.
New safety and contractor oversight bodies
The new safety committee brought together agencies including the Department of Land Transport, Department of Rail Transport, Department of Highways, Department of Rural Roads, Department of Harbors, Airports of Thailand (AOT) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT). Its mandate was to review existing safety measures, recommend improvements and draw up action plans to be reported regularly to the minister. A separate body under Order No. 122 was tasked with speeding up implementation of a new ministerial regulation on contractor registration, centred on a “Contractor Book” for procurement procedures.
This committee, also chaired by the deputy director-general of the ministry and backed by experts in civil and structural engineering, law and safety, was to ensure the regulation was applied in practice and its use in procurement properly documented. Monthly reports to the minister were planned to track compliance.
Three-pronged safety strategy and broad work stoppages
Phiphat outlined three guiding principles to strengthen public safety: rapid clarification of causes and clear assignment of responsibility, long-term improvement of safety standards in construction and public transport, and tighter regulation and supervision of contractors, including registration, classification, use of the Contractor Book and sanctions. He also instructed project owners to swiftly coordinate compensation measures so that affected people would receive help quickly.
In the afternoon, Jirapong Theppitak, deputy permanent secretary of the ministry and chair of the Fact-Finding Committee, said the ministry had ordered ITD to suspend all construction activities for 15 days on 14 projects so experts could carry out detailed safety checks. He added that all major construction projects under the ministry’s responsibility would also be stopped for up to 15 days for comparable inspections, with the findings to form the basis for further legal and regulatory steps.
Second crane disaster in Si Khiew under scrutiny
At the same time, authorities closely monitored another crane accident in Si Khiew district, Nakhon Ratchasima, where 32 people died and many were injured on 14 January in a high-speed rail project involving ITD. On 16 January, Wichian Rungrujirat, an ITD manager, commented publicly for the first time, saying dismantling of the damaged steel frame had been carefully planned and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) had acted as adviser.
He said the machinery used on site was suitable for the task and that dismantling of the steel structure was scheduled for completion by 17 January. The focus, he added, was on safety, with a detailed procedure for lifting and cutting using slings, under which workers loosened bolts step by step, with no welding planned to separate the steel, although rust or wear could cause delays.
High-speed rail works halted nationwide
However, government orders meant that all high-speed rail sections involving lifting and installation of elevated structures were temporarily suspended nationwide. Wichian acknowledged that contract cancellations hit the company hard, as ITD relied on ongoing projects and revenue, and said a prolonged stoppage would damage both its finances and the jobs of thousands of employees and their families.
He expressed hope the government would refrain from final contract terminations.
“We take responsibility and will thoroughly inspect equipment and training in order to restore confidence.”
said Wichian, adding that the Si Khiew municipality had officially ordered a construction halt.
He said dismantling had to be completed before any resumption could be requested. According to Wichian, the SRT was informed about the planned works on 16 January, even though the accident had already occurred on 14 January without prior notification, and coordination between the site and rail traffic normally took place via radio.
Cause and liability still being investigated
Wichian said ten workers had been on site at the time of the Si Khiew accident, supervised by safety staff. Investigations into the exact cause were under way, but he described a combination of human error and systemic problems, and said he had already outlined the situation to the prime minister. Police had summoned three employees for questioning.
On compensation, he said ITD had paid relatives of seven victims 150,000 baht each, while the government was considering additional support after the prime minister proposed 1 million baht per victim; the final amount had not yet been set. Kritsada Yongkamlang, assistant director for the high-speed rail project at ITD, confirmed he was aware of the contract terminations but said contractual details had to be reviewed before deciding on further steps.
Engineers suspect support system, not crane design
Kritsada voiced concern over the timing of the decision, noting the project was close to completion, with only about 300 metres left to build. Regarding the crane used in Si Khiew, which had been imported from China and was relatively new, he said the equipment itself was not defective and required maintenance intervals had been observed.
He said engineers had checked the safety of the equipment and drawn up a plan to dismantle the crane into three parts, each to be lowered in a controlled manner using another crane. According to Kritsada, the company generally coordinated with the SRT before moving cranes, including suspending construction when trains were running, and the accident occurred while preparations were being made to relocate the crane.
A detailed investigation was still ongoing, but initial analyses pointed to a possible failure in the crane’s support system rather than in the crane’s core mechanisms.