Suriya orders SRT to inspect high-speed rail project after earthquake

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit has instructed the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to inspect all of its ongoing projects following last week’s earthquake.

He has specifically directed SRT to focus on inspecting the first phase of the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway project (Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima), with particular attention to the standards of construction materials and equipment.

Out of the 14 contracts under the high-speed railway project, SRT has been told to pay extra attention to the 3-1 contract (Kaeng Khoi-Klang Dong and Pang Asok-Bandai Ma sections), valued at 9.34 billion baht. This contract is the responsibility of the ITD-CREC No 10 joint venture.

The Thai-Chinese joint venture has raised safety concerns, as it was also responsible for the construction of the State Audit Office building in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, which collapsed on March 28 due to the earthquake.

“The SRT governor has been appointed to conduct a detailed inspection of the project to review how the specifications were determined in the past,” Suriya said.

He added that SRT is inspecting both the materials and construction processes to ensure safety, transparency, and good governance. He expects the inspection to be completed within two days.

“SRT has also been instructed to ensure that supervisors inspect the construction site regularly so that contractors can be notified to take immediate corrective action if any irregularities are found,” he said.

(2025/04/01-00:00)