Anutin rejects 40k payout for victims of crane collapse
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed strong disapproval of the proposed 40,000 baht compensation for victims of a fatal crane collapse, urging the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to immediately revise its approach to victim support.
Yesterday, January 14, Anutin visited the site where a crane collapsed during a railway construction project, killing over 30 people. He received a briefing from officials of the SRT and the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC), who outlined the initial compensation plan, 40,000 baht for funeral expenses and an additional 40,000 baht in support.
Insurance coverage from two providers totals 50 million baht, though it remains unclear if this sum includes all victims or only third parties.
Anutin criticised the compensation package, stating that the amount was insufficient and did not reflect the seriousness of the incident. He said that even if another zero was added, it would still fall short, and insisted that victims’ families deserved a payout in the seven-figure range.
Longtime Channel 3 news anchor Sorayuth Suthassanachinda reported that the premier called on the SRT to hold an urgent board meeting to re-evaluate the relief package, stressing that passengers using public transport should not be exposed to such risks without adequate protection.
He added that a payout of 80,000 baht per victim was unrealistic and would be rejected by any reasonable family. The caretaker PM also made clear that the current situation could not be considered as a preliminary stage of support, given the high number of fatalities.
Not a first rodeo
Anutin also questioned why the same contractor involved in the current incident continued to receive major infrastructure contracts. He referenced the contractor’s previous links to other problematic projects, including the collapsed Rama II road structure, and ongoing bids worth billions of baht.
The Bhumjaithai figurehead revealed that he had spoken with the Comptroller General’s Department about penalising the contractor through scoring reductions and expressed concern that Thailand currently lacks a legal framework to blacklist companies with repeated safety failures.
He stressed the need for construction law reform and said the issue would be submitted to Parliament, as existing regulations do not give agencies the authority to enforce such blacklists.
According to Anutin, the SRT must also file a formal complaint against the contractor, and law enforcement agencies would need to conduct a full investigation into the cause of the incident.
Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn added that the construction contract already required all work to stop during train operations, and an investigation would determine why this clause was not followed.
Before leaving the scene, Anutin reiterated that the 40,000 baht figure was entirely unacceptable. He emphasised that, in his position as prime minister, even seeing that number on paper would be offensive, and warned the SRT board to seriously reconsider the compensation approach.
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