Bangkok Suspends Hazardous Rama II Projects, Commuters Brace for Gridlock

Heavy machinery toppling, roads caving in and anxious commuters stuck in never-ending traffic have finally pushed Bangkok’s leadership to break with convention. Instead of politely citing breach-of-contract clauses, the cabinet is now resorting to hard-hitting administrative orders to halt or tear up projects that repeatedly jeopardise public safety.

At a Glance

• Rama II Road registered its third serious incident in 7 days, fuelling calls for action.

• Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul invoked คำสั่งทางปกครอง to suspend or cancel state deals, starting with two megaprojects run by Italian-Thai Development (ITD).

• A nationwide review of more than 10 on-going transport contracts is under way; officials risk Section 157 charges if they drag their feet.

• Experts warn that Thailand’s construction boom could stall unless a culture of safety replaces the race to meet deadlines.

Swift Administrative Hammer Falls

Civil lawsuits and penalty clauses, the government argues, have been too slow to stop cranes from collapsing. So last week the prime minister authorised an administrative order that immediately freezes work on the Rama II elevated expressway and the high-speed rail segment in Sikhiu, Nakhon Ratchasima. Lawyers from the Council of State confirmed the move is legal under the Public Procurement Act 2017, yet it is rare to cite “imminent danger to the public” as the sole reason for contract termination. The Ministry of Transport has 15 days to inspect every ITD site; designers and supervising engineers who sign off on unsafe operations now face criminal exposure.

Why Rama II Keeps Making Headlines

Stretching 84 km from Bangkok’s Bang Khun Thian district to Samut Songkhram, Highway 35—better known as Rama II—has long been a nightmare. Over the past decade, at least 53 construction-linked mishaps have killed 22 people and wounded 38, according to consumer watchdog data. Cracks, falling debris and sudden sinkholes are common because the road sits on soft clay, forcing contractors to rely on deep steel sheet piles and meticulous groundwater control. When a 1 000 mm water main burst at km 29+350 this weekend, soil washed away faster than workers could reinforce it, swallowing a pickup truck and prompting yet another rush-hour gridlock.

Italian-Thai’s High-Stakes Showdown

The decision to blacklist ITD could sideline Thailand’s largest home-grown builder from future government auctions worth tens of billions of baht. In a note to the Stock Exchange, ITD said both contracts "remain valid" and that the company is “complying fully” while insurance pays victims’ families. Privately, executives fear the suspension will idle thousands of workers. Analysts warn that any protracted court fight may delay the Rama III–Dao Khanong expressway and the M82 Bang Khun Thian–Ban Phaeo motorway—projects now 87 % and 52 % complete respectively.

Safety Culture on Trial

Structural engineer Prof Amorn Pimanmas points out that most disasters begin with routine shortcuts: under-designed temporary works, second-hand cranes lacking proper calibration, or subcontractors hired on razor-thin margins. Critics add that regulators rarely perform unannounced inspections and that penalties are so modest companies simply treat them as overhead. The Ministry of Finance hopes its forthcoming สมุดพกผู้รับเหมา—a digital contractor scorecard—will grade firms on safety records, not just price. Meanwhile, labour unions are lobbying for mandatory independent accident probes, echoing aviation’s model rather than leaving inquiries to the agencies that commissioned the job.

What Motorists Can Expect Next

Short term, commuters will endure heavier bottlenecks as crews shore up subsidence zones and transfer oversized beams off the Rama II right-of-way. Officials insist the entire corridor, including the West Outer Ring extension, will still open by late 2026 if a replacement contractor is appointed within 6 months. The Highways Department is also lining up drone monitoring and night-shift lane closings to cut daytime disruptions.

Looking Ahead

Thailand’s infrastructure spree—new metros, motorways and high-speed rail—remains essential to regional competitiveness. But after a spate of headline-grabbing fatalities, political tolerance for lax oversight has evaporated. The real test will be whether the current show of force evolves into a permanent safety regime or fades once traffic returns to normal speeds on Rama II.