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Bangkok train driver found drug-positive and unlicensed; driver and crossing guard deny negligence charges   THAILAND — The driver of a Bangkok freight train that collided with a passenger bus at a level crossing, killing eight people, has tested positive for illicit drugs and been charged with negligence causing death and injury. Police confirmed the charges on Sunday, 17 May 2026. The driver, who also sustained injuries in the crash, and a railway-crossing guard both denied the allegations, according to Urumporn Koondejsumrit, chief of the local police station where the incident occurred. The collision took place on Saturday, 16 May 2026, at the Makkasan railway crossing in Huai Khwang district. Freight train 2126, operating the Laem Chabang to Bang Sue route, struck a Route 206 public bus along with private cars and motorcycles on the crossing before the bus burst into flames. Eight people were killed and at least 30 others injured. Seventeen passengers remained hospitalised as of Sunday evening, local emergency services confirmed. Social media footage from the day showed the train approaching the level crossing at a moderate speed before striking the bus, which was stationary on the tracks amid heavy traffic congestion. Bangkok police chief Pol Lt Gen Siam Boonsom said congestion was a daily occurrence at the crossing but that no prior accident had taken place there. Authorities were also investigating the train's speed and braking distance. An initial urine test of the driver returned a positive result for illicit drugs, though the specific substances were not identified. Further testing was expected to include the other driver and a technician who was also aboard the freight train. Driver found drug-positive and unlicensed Pichet Kunadhamraks, director-general of the Department of Rail Transport (DRT), confirmed in a statement on 17 May 2026 that the train driver, Sayomporn Sornkul, 46, had tested positive for narcotics following a post-incident urine examination conducted by police. Kunadhamraks further disclosed that Sayomporn had not obtained a train operator's licence from the DRT prior to taking up duty on the day of the collision. Sayomporn has been suspended from duty and faces criminal charges alongside serious disciplinary proceedings. Bangkok police chief Pol Lt Gen Sayam Boonsom confirmed he was charged with reckless driving causing death and serious injury. The driver of the Route 206 bus, which had stopped on the crossing amid heavy traffic congestion, faces the same charge. According to Pol Lt Gen Sayam, the train did not slow or stop despite a level-crossing official flying a red flag — the prescribed signal instructing the driver to halt because of congestion blocking the tracks ahead. Zero-tolerance directive issued In direct response to the collision, Kunadhamraks issued Official Order No. 51/2568 on 17 May 2026, mandating pre-shift drug and alcohol screening for all rail safety personnel with immediate effect. The order enforces a zero-tolerance standard, meaning results must show no detectable trace of any controlled substance or alcohol before personnel may begin a shift. Under the directive, testing applies to train drivers, stationmasters, train control personnel, barrier and crossing operators, and all other staff with safety-related responsibilities. Any employee found with any detectable level of a prohibited substance must be immediately suspended. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has been ordered to maintain records of all screening results and report findings to the DRT within 24 hours of each day's testing. Kunadhamraks demanded a deeper investigation into how supervisors permitted a drug-positive individual to operate a freight train. He said those within the management chain must be held to account. The directive draws legal authority from Section 90 of the Rail Transport Act B.E. 2568 (2025), which empowers rail inspectors to test any duty personnel suspected of substance use. The DRT confirmed it is preparing subordinate regulations to fully operationalise this provision in law.   Structural failures at the crossing The SRT confirmed the Makkasan crossing operates under a manual barrier system controlled by on-site personnel. Under standard procedures, warning lights and alarms are activated before barriers are lowered. Officials said the barriers could not descend because vehicles were stranded on the crossing due to severe congestion. Under existing rules, drivers who do not receive confirmation that barriers are fully closed must rely on visual signals from crossing staff. Authorities are examining data recovered from the train's onboard recording system to determine whether prescribed procedures were followed in the moments before impact. Anutin noted that trains had previously halted successfully at obstructed crossings, raising questions about why the driver did not slow down or stop in time on 16 May 2026.   Prime minister visits survivors and pledges reform Anutin, who also serves as interior minister, visited survivors at Camillian Hospital on 17 May 2026. He was accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Public Health, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), and the SRT. Anutin expressed condolences to bereaved families and pledged full government assistance. He described the incident as deeply tragic and said the bus driver and conductor were in particularly poor emotional condition. "We must reduce the number of level crossings," Anutin said. "There may need to be route changes or tunnel construction. We cannot rely solely on the judgement of station staff or signal operators because human error is always possible." Anutin said video footage indicated the barriers failed to lower because congestion had left vehicles blocked on the tracks. He pledged long-term structural solutions, including replacing dangerous crossings with tunnels or elevated routes. Compensation for victims BMTA director Kittikarn Jomduang Charuworapolkul said compensation would be coordinated with insurers under the Third-Party Liability Protection Act. Families of those killed are expected to receive initial payments of 1.5 million Thai baht per victim. Injured passengers will receive between 80,000 and 500,000 baht depending on the severity of their injuries, Kittikarn confirmed. Chronic safety concerns at the junction Local motorcycle taxi operators told reporters that accidents and near-misses at the junction occurred regularly. They attributed the pattern to chronic traffic congestion and impatient driving behaviour in the area. The DRT said the zero-tolerance directive reflected its commitment to the highest safety standards and was intended to restore public confidence in Thailand's rail network.   https://theonlinecitizen.com/2026/05/18/bangkok-freight-train-driver-found-drug-positive-and-unlicensed-as-zero-tolerance-order-issued

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