Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited six survivors of Bangkok’s devastating train-bus collision on May 17 at Camillian Hospital, praising the hospital’s medical team for its swift and compassionate response to one of the capital’s deadliest transport tragedies in recent years.
The fatal accident occurred on May 16 near the Makkasan Airport Rail Link station in central Bangkok, when a freight train slammed into a public bus crossing the railway tracks.
The catastrophe unfolded at street level during a period of heavy traffic. A freight train was passing through the major intersection while a queue of buses and cars sat gridlocked at a red light. Trapped by the congestion ahead, the passenger bus was left straddling the active railway tracks.
The impact triggered a massive fire that engulfed the bus, killing eight people and injuring dozens more.
Photo by Camillian Hospital
Authorities said many victims suffered severe burns, making identification difficult. By Sunday, only two victims had been officially identified, while six others and three recovered body parts still required DNA verification.
Among the six patients still receiving treatment at Camillian Hospital, two remained in critical condition in the intensive care unit — a bus passenger and the bus fare collector.
The other injured included the bus driver, the train driver, a motorcyclist, and a foreign woman traveling in a pickup truck. Twenty-four other injured victims had already been discharged earlier that morning after receiving treatment.
Upon arrival at the hospital, the prime minister met with Dr. Nattapol Kalapaksee, the hospital’s medical director, and Father Peter Pakavee Sengcharoen, the hospital superior, to receive updates on the victims’ conditions.
He was later escorted to the ICU and general wards to personally encourage the injured and comfort their relatives.
During a press conference at the hospital, the prime minister expressed deep concern over the tragedy and thanked the priests, doctors, nurses, and emergency personnel of Camillian Hospital for caring for the majority of the injured victims.
“This was a tragedy no one wished to see happen,” Anutin said, adding that he came “with deep sorrow to encourage both the injured and their families.”
Prime Minister Anutin also ordered a full investigation into the crash.
Preliminary findings indicated that the bus had become stranded across the railway tracks moments before the collision. He pledged that the government would pursue long-term safety measures to reduce the risks posed by dangerous railway intersections in Bangkok.
Some observers, however, argued that the tragedy reflected broader systemic failures in urban traffic management and railway safety, saying both the bus driver and train driver were themselves victims of unsafe infrastructure and inadequate safeguards.
Photo by Camillian Hospital
In a statement issued after the visit, Father Peter Pakavee Sengcharoen conveyed the hospital’s condolences to the victims and their families.
“Camillian Hospital expresses its deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones and to all those injured in this tragic collision between a freight train and a passenger bus,” he said.
“Our hospital was among the first medical centers to receive and care for the injured, and we continue to accompany the victims and their families during this difficult time.”
Located near the crash site, Camillian Hospital served as the primary sanctuary for the influx of wounded victims. Operating a 24-hour emergency room equipped with dedicated orthopedic and trauma teams, the institution mobilized immediately to stabilize and operate on the injured.
The hospital’s response reflects its deep-rooted spiritual heritage. Established in 1959 by Catholic missionaries, the hospital is operated by the Camillians, a religious order founded in the 16th century by Saint Camillus de Lellis.
Bound by a vow to care for the sick and the poor, the order first arrived in Thailand in 1929. Today, a legacy of nearly a century of service continues through more than 100 Camillian brothers and priests operating hospitals, clinics, and social welfare centers across the kingdom.
