Families demand answers from transit chiefs after fatal crash
Families of victims killed in a train and bus crash at Bangkok's Makkasan railway crossing are demanding accountability from state transit agencies, rejecting deflection of blame onto individual drivers and calling for systemic answers abou
BANGKOK — On May 19, 2026, relatives of victims killed in Saturday's catastrophic train and public bus crash at the Makkasan railway crossing have accused state transit agencies of institutional negligence, demanding direct accountability over the fatal accident.
On Tuesday at 10:50, the family of a victim known affectionately as Aunt Eiang arrived at the Police General Hospital's Institute of Forensic Medicine to retrieve her body for funeral rites at Wat Nam Daeng in Samut Prakan province.
The family expressed deep concern about the State Railway of Thailand's (SRT) handling of the situation, noting that while authorities have rushed to defend their personnel, they have provided no information about compensation or accepted responsibility. The family wants answers about why the bus driver stopped on the tracks and is calling for a thorough investigation into whether mechanical failure or other factors were involved.
They stressed that this tragedy must never happen again, pointing out that identical incidents have occurred repeatedly. The family emphasized they are not seeking financial compensation, as Aunt Eiang was the family's pillar, and no amount of money can fill the void left by her death.
At 12:30, a man named Santi arrived to meet with investigators to collect documents for his son's body, which he planned to transport to Wat Khlong Nueng in Pathum Thani province for funeral rites. He revealed that his son was traveling to visit a friend near Phatthanakan Intersection and was just three bus stops away when the crash occurred. The family had tracked the victim's location through a mobile sharing app, and his signal vanished at the exact moment of the accident.
Santi argued that public transportation should be the safest mode of travel, making such a tragedy completely unacceptable. His son was young, set to graduate next year, and aspired to become a software application programmer with a bright future ahead.
Santi strongly criticized both the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) and the SRT, characterizing the accident as a result of institutional negligence. He contended that drivers are merely low-level employees and that the organizations themselves must take responsibility for their systems and staff management. He condemned the practice of blaming workers while organizations evade accountability, refuse to provide compensation, and force victims' families to pursue individual lawsuits against employees. Santi demanded that the organizations be held directly accountable.
