28 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Yes - "a tunnel housing the Purple Line extension collapsed."

That looks like a construction failure. Was the design flawed, ie., lacking subsoil analysis and adequate construction solutions and/or construction inspection?

 

If you look at those pilings below grade, and all the other things going on in the photos, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often. 

 

Especially given that I'm sure a lot of existing construction wasn't done exactly according to whatever drawings (if any) they have on file from 100 years ago.

On 9/25/2025 at 11:53 AM, thesetat said:

They are currently blaming shifting ground soil as the source of the sinkhole. However, I am curious about that being the real reasoning behind the sinkhole since there is currently underground construction being done right next to the sinkhole. 

The sinkhole, measuring around 30 metres wide, 30 metres long and 50 metres deep, formed after a tunnel housing the Purple Line extension collapsed. The shift caused soil to slide into the underground station at Vajira Hospital,

 

On 9/25/2025 at 11:55 AM, Will B Good said:

 

 

I wondered of there's been a massive unground water leak from this pipes that caused erosion.

The sinkhole, measuring around 30 metres wide, 30 metres long and 50 metres deep, formed after a tunnel housing the Purple Line extension collapsed. The shift caused soil to slide into the underground station at Vajira Hospital,

 

Modern buildings being supported by a pillar and pier system ... ??  WTF

Giant sink forms and is getting filled with sand ....   WTF

sand is free ..  at the beach

 

I wonder how much the contractors are charging the government for said filler ?? ( plus labor )

 

oh and if anyone remembers all the way back to yesterday .....

it will have to be done at least 3 times to get close to satisfactory ....     Thank, you 3x

 

note to self ..   don't drive down that road ..   ever !

This has got all the markings of a massive Thai style stuff up.

A couple of good Paddies with a cement mixer, shovels and wellies will have that fixed within a fortnight. 🤣😂🤣

7 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The one question that's been avoided is where did all the soil from the sink-hole go?

Some of it will have gone into any excavated tunnel, and the rest back into the excvated station box.

21 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

 

WOW!   That's a BIG mess, even by Bangkok construction standards!     

Pouring concrete from those trucks is, in vernacular English, a Pi55 in the Ocean.

On 9/25/2025 at 2:40 PM, Georgealbert said:

 

Pictures courtesy of Daily News

 

Workers and officials in Bangkok are racing to stabilise a massive sinkhole on Samsen Road that has left the new Samsen Police Station at risk of collapse. The incident, which occurred on the morning of 24 September, forced the evacuation of police officers and residents amid fears of further subsidence. Authorities have since deployed sandbags, crushed stone and monitoring equipment to reduce risks and prevent additional damage.

The sinkhole, measuring around 30 metres wide, 30 metres long and 50 metres deep, formed after a tunnel housing the Purple Line extension collapsed. The shift caused soil to slide into the underground station at Vajira Hospital, while broken pipes allowed water to flood the area, worsening the erosion. More than 50,000 sandbags have already been dropped into the hole to plug the cracked tunnel, to prevent soil and water entry into railway construction site, which should limit further soil loss and collapse.

 

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt confirmed that Vajira Hospital remains relatively secure due to underground concrete retaining walls. However, the five-storey Samsen Police Station building lacks such reinforcement. Large amounts of soil beneath its foundation have shifted, and two of its pillars have already disappeared, leaving the structure at significant risk.

 

Laser monitoring devices have been installed to track structural movement at the police station, while traffic restrictions have been imposed on nearby roads. Authorities have also warned that further bans may be necessary if the ground continues to shift. Residents of about 20 households, including elderly and bedridden people, were relocated as tap water and internet services were disrupted in the area.

 

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul inspected the site twice on 24 September, accompanied by ministers and senior officials. He expressed concern about the impact of heavy rain on the fragile ground, apologised to the public for the disruption, and pledged that the government will maintain oversight until the situation is resolved. He also highlighted the difficulty of removing four 30-tonne concrete blocks obstructing the tunnel.

 

Multiple agencies, including the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, and construction contractor Ch. Karnchang Plc., are coordinating stabilisation works. Officials stated that reinforcement measures are being developed for vulnerable structures.

 

Key Takeaways

 

• A massive sinkhole on Samsen Road has put the new Samsen Police Station at risk of collapse.

• Authorities have deployed sandbags, crushed stone and laser monitoring to prevent further subsidence.

• Prime Minister Anutin pledged accountability and government oversight until the situation stabilises.

 

Related Stories

 

Massive-road-collapse-near-vajira-hospital-triggers-evacuation

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Dailynews 2025-09-25

 

 

 

 

I reckon it was Thaksin and his sewer cleaning crew. The brownshirts have struck.

Maybe some guidance from the team in UK who have dealt with the sinkholes at Godstone in Surrey will be of help. There were caves under the High Street and it took months to fill in.

UPDATE
Police & MPs Probe Bangkok Road Collapse

 

 

If concrete is allowed to drop more than a metre it starts to separate and so does not act as a solid lump but as a pile of aggregate coated in wet cement! Thai engineers "should" know that!  

What about Bentonite?

 

I've used 5kg, got 20kg left I could LOAN them. 🙂