Revision History

On May 16, 2026, a freight train struck a passenger bus at a level crossing near Bangkok's Makkasan station, killing eight people and injuring 33. Police announced the train driver tested positive for narcotics and lacked a valid operator's license, but investigators and transport experts say the crash exposed far deeper failures — from malfunctioning barriers and uncoordinated traffic signals to a state railway drowning in 190 billion baht of debt and a national rail network where more than 80% of crossings lack any barriers at all.