Video | Bangkok’s governor suggests metro construction could have contributed to dramatic street collapse

That is what has been suggested by Bangkok Governor Chadcart Sittipunt, who arrived at the scene at 8am today (25 September) to assess the situation.

The sinkhole opened up on Wedesday 24 September, dragging the street, power lines and cars into the abyss, close to Vajira Hospital in the Dusit district of the city.

The pavement collapsed further while authorities were investigating the scene. Officers who had been trying to winch fallen police vehicles evacuated as recovery operations were temporarily suspended.

In words reported by news agency Reuters, Sittipunt said, “Once the road was damaged, debris from the surface poured into the underground construction void, causing the area nearby to fall inside.

“A water pipe was damaged, causing a leak, which contributed to the issue. Nobody was injured by damage to nearby buildings, including a new police station, is being assessed.”

Police lieutenant general Sayam Boonsom, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said the area was also undergoing roadworks at the time of the collapse.

The police chief said, “A preliminary assessment as found that construction activity may have caused the ground to sink and form a cavity underneath. The ground continued to subside.

“The area is being secured and investigations are ongoing into the cause, with several organisations working to assess the damage and the structural safety of the road.”

A total of six contracts valued at 82 billion baht (US$2.6 billion) for the MRT Purple Line (Tao Poon - Rat Burana) were signed in 2022. According to Bangkok-based news publication The Nation, the area around the Vajira Hospital forms part of the line and is being built under Contract 1 for the design and construction of a tunnel between Tao Poon and the National Library.

The contractor for Contract one is the CKST-PL joint venture. Construction Briefing has contacted two of the main joint venture partners for comment.