Why are railway crossings so dangerous in Thailand?

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]Why are railway crossings so dangerous in Thailand? This isn't the first major fatal accident involving trains and road vehicles. There have been multiple instances in the past where a train has crashed into a bus. In 2020, a train collided with a bus heading for a pilgrimage to Sa Kaeo province. This was one of the worst train bus collisions in Thailand's history, in which 19 people lost their lives and 30 more were injured. According to the Department of Rail Transport, data shows that between 2021 and 2026, Thailand experienced an average of 60 to 80 railway crossing accidents annually, resulting in an average annual death toll of 20 to 30.

[00:00:47]The main causes fall into three main categories. First, risky behavior, such as ignoring barriers or driving onto tracks when warning signals were activated. Second, traffic [music] congestion causing vehicles to stop on the tracks. Third, physical limitations, such as unprotected or unadopted crossings, which lack automatic barriers and structures obstructing visibility.

[00:01:13]After the accident in Chachoengsao province, the government constructed a bridge over the railway, linking Maha Chakri Phan Road and Si Winthai Wong Road. After the bus train collision in Bangkok on Saturday, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced an initiative to build tunnels under the Rama IX and Asoke-Phetchaburi intersections. While efforts have been made to construct underpasses beneath or bridges over railway lines in several areas, a question remains over whether they will actually solve the problem.