Transport Doctor Raises Alarming Questions After Train Attendant Dies Onboard Overnight Service

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

 

A doctor has spoken out following the death of a sleeping car attendant onboard an overnight train, questioning the absence of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and the lack of CPR training for railway staff.

 

The incident occurred on express train No. 86, running from Nakhon Si Thammarat to Bangkok. The male attendant, reportedly suffering from chest tightness and breathing difficulties, collapsed and died while on duty.

 

 

The incident was brought to public attention by the Facebook page of “Dr. Paiphan’s Obstetrics & Gynaecology Clinic,” which shared the firsthand account of a physician who was travelling on the train and tried desperately to save the man’s life.

 

“Because death never warns in advance,” the post begins.

 

The doctor, who had boarded the train at Chumphon around 22:00 en route to a meeting in Bangkok, was awakened just after 03:00, by a commotion among passengers.

 

“An officer has collapsed!” someone cried.

 

She rushed to the scene and found the man unresponsive, with no pulse and no signs of breathing. She immediately began CPR.

 

Only two other passengers stepped in to help, one to help time the compressions, the other to assist with chest compressions. Railway staff, had no training in emergency aid, did what they could, calling the emergency number 1669 and halting the train to allow rescue workers in Ratchaburi to board.

 

Despite continuous CPR for 30 minutes, the man showed no signs of recovery by the time medics arrived. He was pronounced dead on site.

 

In the aftermath, the doctor expressed her deepest condolences to the victim’s family, but also raised serious concerns as a medical professional:

 

Why is there no AED onboard trains?

Why are railway staff not trained in basic CPR?

And in that critical moment, why were only two fellow passengers prepared to step forward and help?

 

“CPR isn’t just a doctor’s job,” she wrote. “It’s a human responsibility, to not just stand by while someone dies in front of you.”

 

She concluded with a reminder that could save lives:

 

Perform chest compressions at 100–120 times per minute, about 5–6 cm deep.

Call 1669 immediately.

Use an AED if one is available.

 

The post has sparked widespread discussion online about emergency preparedness on public transport and the need for broader CPR training and equipment across the railway system.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-04-24.

 

 

 

[Artisi]

What will come of this, absolutely nothing - by the time they think about it and decide that maybe a committee is formed to think further about it, the need to proceed further will be swept under the carpet and forgotten. 

[JoePai]

A doctor has spoken out following the death of a sleeping car attendant onboard an overnight train, questioning the absence of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and the lack of CPR training for railway staff.

 

All well and good but where does it end, next the long distant buses?

e.g.   questioning the absence of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and the lack of CPR training for bus staff.