BANGKOK, THAILAND – A massive sinkhole that opened on Rama II Road near Samut Sakhon plunged a pickup into a crater, burst a water main and brought commuter traffic to a standstill.
Pickup plunges into sinkhole on busy artery
In the early hours, the asphalt on the heavily used Rama II outbound route suddenly gave way near the Big C market in front of Samut Sakhon Wittayalai School. A pickup truck could not brake in time and crashed into the newly formed sinkhole. The impact ruptured an underground water main, flooding two lanes and triggering a complete traffic collapse in both directions.
Series of deadly incidents heightens fear
The latest accident followed an “alarming series of misfortunes” on Rama II Road. Just days earlier, a construction crane fell onto the roadway and crushed two pickups, killing their drivers. Separately, the collapse of a high-speed rail bridge in Nakhon Ratchasima left 30 people dead and many injured.
Public anger on social media
Social media users voiced growing outrage over the string of incidents.
“When will this finally stop? This road is a death trap!”
said one user. The frustration among residents and regular commuters continued to rise.
Experts see pattern of systemic failures
Infrastructure specialists had already raised the alarm over repeated accidents. They argued that the incidents pointed to serious systemic deficiencies in construction oversight and maintenance.
“These are no longer isolated cases, this is a pattern. Something is seriously wrong in planning, materials or inspection,”
said an anonymous engineer, adding that commuter safety was at stake.
Traffic diversions and long clean-up ahead
Authorities tried to contain the disruption with emergency diversions, but the traffic jam stretched for many kilometres. Clean-up and repair work were expected to take several days, including fixing the broken water pipe, filling the sinkhole and resurfacing the road. Transport officials said they could not estimate when traffic would return to normal, warning commuters to expect major delays.
Cause of ground collapse under investigation
Investigators examined what lay beneath the damaged section of Rama II Road. Possible causes under review included a defective sewer line or excavation works linked to a nearby construction project. Officials had yet to announce any preliminary findings on the origin of the subsidence.
Call for overhaul of vital transport corridor
Commentators framed the sinkhole as a wake-up call for those responsible for Thailand’s infrastructure. Rama II Road was described as a vital transport artery for Bangkok and neighbouring provinces, where each new incident further eroded public trust. Residents and daily users insisted it was no longer enough to repair visible damage alone, arguing that the entire system had to be thoroughly reviewed and placed “on the test bench.”