Accidents at large-scale construction sites in Thailand occur often — only to quietly fade from public attention, leaving no trace of lasting accountability.
A recent example is the sinkhole measuring 30m by 30m wide, with a depth of 50m, that opened up on Sept 24 at the construction site of the Samsen underground train station, between Vajira Hospital and Samsen police station. The site is part of the southern extension of Purple Line, which is being built by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA).
Lives at risk
Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported. Yet the incident serves as a stark reminder that the lives and property of Thais hang precariously by a thread, especially amid the widespread construction of large-scale infrastructure projects across Bangkok. This is despite the fact the station’s structural work was already 70% complete.
What is even more troubling is the recurring pattern seen in many other similar incidents — where sections of construction collapse onto busy roads used by thousands of commuters daily. In nearly every case, no detailed explanation is provided by the owners, the government agencies in charge, or even the ministerial officials overseeing them. There is seldom any public clarification as to what caused the accident or who should be held accountable.
Typically, when such incidents occur, compensation for life and property is offered, and a probe panel is hastily formed. However, as time passes, the findings tend to fade into obscurity, with no transparent reporting of the outcomes.
High-risk zone
In the past three to four years, several major construction accidents in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces have made headline news.
A notable hotspot is Rama II Road, a project under construction for over 20 years, handling daily traffic of around 250,000 vehicles due to its importance as a route to the southern region. The road is under the responsibility of the Department of Highways and the Expressway Authority of Thailand.
In 2021, a labourer from Italian-Thai Development Plc fell from an elevated expressway beam during installation, resulting in the worker’s death.
In July 2022, a 5-tonne concrete slab from a U-turn bridge collapsed onto several vehicles, causing two deaths and two injuries.
In August 2022, a large volume of water stored on a tarpaulin on the expressway fell onto a worker, resulting in one fatality. In January 2024, a crane cable snapped at a height of 15 metres, causing one death and one injury.
Most recently, early on Nov 29 last year, a bridge beam collapsed at kilometre 21 outbound on Rama II Road, in Samut Sakhon’s Muang district, killing six people and injuring nine.
This is not to mention projects undertaken by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
One accident occurred at the elevated bridge over the Lat Krabang intersection, near the Lotus’s supermarket on Luang Phraeng Road. This site is part of the elevated road project connecting On Nut and Lat Krabang. The incident happened around 6.08pm on July 10, 2023, resulting in over 10 injuries and two fatalities.
Corruption concerns
Mana Nimitmongkol, president of the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT), said numerous incidents have raised serious suspicions of collusion and corruption in state projects — from small-scale contracts to large infrastructure developments.
He referred to the high-profile case of Kamnan Nok (Praween Janklai), who was arrested in late 2023 in connection with the alleged contract killing of a police officer.
Investigations showed he had won bids for over 200 government projects annually, raising the question of how it would be feasible for a single entity to handle such volume — unless the projects were won through tender and then subcontracted out to others, Mr Mana said.
Another example was the national sports stadium project, consisting of 31 sites that have seen delays. The project is jointly overseen by the Sports Authority of Thailand and the Department of Physical Education, with work assigned to the Department of Highways.
The Rama II Road project, also under the Department of Highways, was similarly highlighted for chronic delays and repeated construction-related accidents, he said.
Additionally, the collapse of a building under construction for the Office of the Auditor General fuelled widespread public suspicion as to how such a structural failure could have occurred.
Krungsri Bank said the value of public projects in 2024 amounted to 780 billion baht. Meanwhile, an estimate by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce suggested that as much as 200 billion baht may have been lost to corruption, Mr Mana said.
He said construction projects in Thailand have long been plagued by systemic flaws and conflicts of interest.
The process typically begins with design firms, which are not only paid for their design services but also play a decisive role in specifying materials, finishes, and equipment. This often allows them to receive commissions or incentives from product suppliers, creating a built-in conflict of interest.
In most cases, design firms are selected through a design competition, but in practice, the process often involves lobbying or bribery of officials in various agencies.
Calls for transparency
“Overall, the direction of state spending, the budgeting process, procurement procedures, and value-for-money evaluations remain highly limited in their effectiveness,” he said.
“What urgently needs reform is the public procurement system. Rules must be broadened to encourage greater private sector participation, foster open competition, and provide the government with more choices — enabling it to select contractors based on capability and performance rather than simply on the lowest price.
“Project information also must be disclosed more transparently to allow for increased public participation.”
Prof Amorn Pimanmas, president of the Thailand Structural Engineers Association, shared some concern about systemic corruption in projects, identifying three primary causes: subcontracting practices where main contractors delegate work to subcontractors without proper oversight, weak supervision involving unqualified personnel assigned to supervise critical projects and forgery of engineers’ signatures.
He called for new measures to prevent such malpractice, beginning with reform of subcontracting laws. This would involve creating a registry of qualified and accountable subcontractors.