BANGKOK, Thailand – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered the Ministry of Transport to terminate two major construction contracts with Italian-Thai Development PCL (ITD) and move to blacklist the firm following a string of fatal crane collapses.
The decision follows a crane collapse at a railway site in Sikhiu and a recent incident on Rama 2 Road, marking the fourth safety failure involving the contractor in the past 10 months.
During a high-level meeting with transport and finance officials, Anutin criticized state agencies for bureaucratic finger-pointing, noting that despite multiple deaths, the contractor had faced no significant punitive action until now.
The Prime Minister expressed alarm over the government’s failure to act on previous incidents, including a structural collapse at the State Audit Office and ongoing safety breaches on the Rama 2 expressway.
Anutin emphasized that the state, as the project owner, must prioritize public safety over regulatory hesitation, instructing the Ministry of Transport to pursue all available legal avenues and seize performance bonds to cover damages.
He clarified that while the contractor is liable for the incidents, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) remains responsible for the safety of its passengers, necessitating immediate and decisive intervention to restore public and international confidence.
In response to questions regarding the delay in blacklisting large contractors, the Ministry of Finance explained that the Comptroller General’s Department requires formal reports from the specific state agencies overseeing the projects before it can act.
Lavaron Sangsnit, Permanent Secretary for Finance, noted that while small-scale contractors are blacklisted monthly, project owners must be the ones to initiate the process for larger firms by providing evidence of negligence.
To prevent future lapses, the government is finalizing a new “performance scorecard” regulation, expected to take effect by February 2026, which will strictly monitor contractor safety records. (TNA)
