BANGKOK, THAILAND – Engineers were monitoring a newly discovered crack near the massive Samsen Road sinkhole as repair crews pushed to make “significant progress” on stabilisation work by Wednesday, Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said.
New crack under police station
A Monday inspection confirmed that a crack had been found under the Samsen police station the previous Thursday. Governor Chadchart said engineers and municipal staff were keeping the site under close surveillance and had given special attention to a police residential building located behind the station.
“Engineers and officials are closely monitoring the affected area,” Governor Chadchart said, adding that “the overall situation on site remains safe and stable.” He noted that heavy rains on Sunday had not caused further major problems.
Repair work advances
Repair operations in front of Vajira Hospital were continuing and teams reported a key achievement: they had prevented water from entering an under-construction metro tunnel beneath the sinkhole. Officials said resolving that water ingress allowed the pace of work to accelerate.
“I think that on Wednesday we will see significant progress in the repair work,” the governor said, expressing cautious optimism as crews pressed ahead with temporary and more permanent stabilisation measures.
Cause and impact
The sinkhole opened on September 24 after a burst main water pipe washed away supporting earth. Soil had been eroded into a leak in the roof of the subway tunnel being built under the road, producing a large cavity at the surface.
The collapse caused major traffic disruption in one of Bangkok’s busiest districts and raised wider concerns about the stability of infrastructure amid extensive construction for the new metro line.
Community checks and local relief
After inspecting the area, Governor Chadchart visited the nearby Suan Oy community and reported that no new cracks in buildings or roads had been detected. That finding was a relief for residents who had endured weeks of road closures, noise and restricted access.
“No new cracks in buildings or roads were found in the area,” he said, offering reassurance to neighbours directly affected by the damage.
Outlook and wider concern
Officials said the coming Wednesday would be a test of whether the immediate crisis could be declared under control if the expected repair milestones were met. At the same time, the discovery of the new crack underscored the city’s vulnerability: recurring sinkholes and water-related collapses have highlighted risks associated with heavy rain and intensive urban construction.
Municipal authorities said they would need to step up inspections at other construction sites along the new metro line in the months ahead to guard against similar failures. The episode has prompted public debate about whether Bangkok should invest more in preventative measures or continue to rely on rapid on-site responses when such incidents occur. “Should the city invest more in prevention, or are quick emergency reactions the right approach?” remains an open question.