Siripong Insists Government Will Provide Full Compensation, Orders State Railway to Examine Black Box of Train Driver After Barrier Failed to Lower
Eight people died and 32 were injured in a train-bus collision near Bangkok's Airport Rail Link station on May 16 after a railway barrier failed to lower, with authorities examining the train's black box to determine the cause.
Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angsukkularti gave an interview after visiting the scene of the train-bus collision on Asok-Din Daeng Road near the Airport Rail Link Makkasan station on May 16, 2025. He reported eight confirmed deaths and expressed his condolences to the victims' families. Police and forensic officials are currently working to identify the deceased, which may take some time. Additionally, 32 people were injured and are being treated at various hospitals. The Land Transport Department is coordinating to track which injured persons are at each facility, with preliminary reports indicating two seriously injured and the remainder moderately to slightly injured.
When asked which vehicle most of the victims were in, Siripong confirmed that all eight fatalities were on the bus, pending verification of any additional findings. Regarding the injured, their distribution between vehicles cannot yet be confirmed as investigations are ongoing. He noted that determining the exact number of bus passengers is difficult since the bus driver died, and there are currently no other witnesses.
Addressing reports that the bus was stuck on the railway tracks with the barrier failing to lower, Siripong explained that normally the railway barrier should lower and signal vehicles to stop. When the barrier doesn't lower, there is no signal and vehicles cannot proceed. In this case, the barrier failed to lower. The State Railway is being ordered to examine the train's black box to determine the driver's behavior at the time of impact—including the train's speed and whether braking was applied—to establish the cause of the accident.
Siripong stated that they have already provided police with all available information, including CCTV footage from both Bangkok authorities and the barrier control station. They must await the technical findings, as they cannot make assumptions about such a serious incident without concrete facts. Regarding the train's braking distance, he noted this is a heavy freight train, and technical conclusions must wait until the black box is examined.
When asked if officials coordinated with traffic signal operators when the accident occurred, Siripong responded that normally the barrier must lower and give the signal. In this case, the barrier failed to lower and provide the signal. The critical question of why the vehicle struck the train requires examination of the black box, as the barrier and the train's systems must be analyzed in relation to each other.
