Nanthana Blasts Government Failure Over Train-Bus Collision, Notes Transport Minister Would Have Resigned If This Were Abroad
A parliamentary debate revealed the train-bus collision at Makkasan railway crossing reflects systemic government failure in transportation planning rather than public negligence, with Thailand's Transport Minister facing no accountability
Speaking at Parliament on May 19, 2025 at 11:10 AM, Nanthana Nantaworapass raised an urgent motion regarding the train-bus collision at the Makkasan railway crossing on Asok-Din Daeng Road, questioning how such an incident could occur, who bears responsibility, and how to prevent future occurrences.
While critics blame the incident on Thai people's lack of discipline and disregard for traffic laws—particularly how a bus came to park on railway tracks and how the train driver was found to be intoxicated, unlicensed, and not at the controls—Nanthana argued against scapegoating the public. She contended that Thailand's problems, including the roughly 20,000 annual road fatalities, pollution, environmental destruction, and corruption, cannot be solved by blaming Thai people's character or DNA.
"Don't let them fool us into being scapegoats. The problem lies entirely with the government," Nanthana stated. "If this happened in Japan or many European countries, the Transport Minister would announce responsibility and resign immediately. But Thailand deceives people into thinking this is about public negligence, with no minister or official taking responsibility, only offering grand visions like tunneling under the Asok intersection—without realizing an underground electric railway already exists beneath it."
Nanthana emphasized that the root issue is government failure in urban planning and transportation management. Since railway tracks were laid 133 years ago, no government has seriously developed the rail system. Most prefer building roads, resulting in railway lines becoming obsolete welfare infrastructure for the poor rather than modern transport. Railways now intersect with roads at ground level, creating dangerous crossings.
She called on the government to reconsider rail development as a modern transport system for all citizens, not just the poor or tourists, and to invest in grade separations or underpasses at railway-road intersections.
