The accident occurred at 8:05 a.m. (0105 GMT) near Khlong Kwang Klan Railway Station, 63 kilometers east of Bangkok, said Maitrei Tritilanon, governor of Chachungsao province where the accident occurred.
A tourist bus carrying about 60 factory workers was on their way to a Buddhist ceremony at a temple crossing a railroad when it was hit by a freight train heading to the capital from the east of the country.
Pictures of rescue workers showed that the bus overturned from its side and its upper part separated, and debris and metal were scattered around the area of the accident. The train remained on the tracks.
Governor Maitre said the crossing has an alert but there is no barrier blocking traffic when the train comes. He said the county will put up speed bumps and barriers as well as logging near the crossing to improve visibility.
“Let this issue be a lesson and we will make improvements in dangerous sites so that such incidents do not happen again,” Maitre said in a statement.
Thailand’s roads are among the deadliest in the world, according to the World Health Organization. There has been little improvement despite the safety campaigns over the years.
The bus passengers were traveling from Samut Prakan Province to a Buddhist temple in Chachongsaw to attend a ceremony marking the end of the Buddhist Lent.
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