Bangkok: Soil leaking into a drainage pipe caused a section of Charansanitwong Road near the Fai Chai intersection to collapse. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) civil engineering officials have completed repairs to a road subsidence on Charansanitwong Road near Vichaiyavej Hospital at the Fai Chai intersection, reopening to traffic since midnight. Meanwhile, a section of Phetchaburi Road (outbound), opposite the Pheu Thai Party headquarters, also subsided in the middle of the night, spanning approximately 2 meters, forcing officials to close one lane.
According to Thai News Agency, the road collapse occurred in front of Vichaiyavej Hospital at the Fai Chai intersection, near the entrance to Soi Charansanitwong 28/6 and the Fai Chai underpass on Charansanitwong Road, Ban Chang Lo Subdistrict, Bangkok Noi District, Bangkok. One motorcyclist sustained minor injuries. Following the incident, authorities temporarily closed the Fai Chai intersection to traffic, directing all vehicles heading towards Tha Phra intersection to use the underpass.
Regarding the cause of the road collapse, Bangkok Governor Chatchart Sittipunt revealed after inspecting the site with officials from Bangkok Noi District, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Public Works Department, the Drainage Department, and other relevant parties that the incident occurred at a location where a siphon pipe, a drainage pipe running approximately 12 meters under the Fai Chai intersection underpass to connect to the Wat Thong Canal drainage system, was under construction. It is suspected that soil leaked into the siphon, creating a cavity under the road. When a truck drove over it, the road surface collapsed and broke. Officials have already blocked the water flow and inspected the cavity, finding it to be relatively small and showing no further subsidence. An inspection of nearby houses revealed no subsidence or damage. Relevant officials have been instructed to expedite repairs and complete them by tonight.
However, throughout last night, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) civil engineering officials brought sand and asphalt to fill the sinkhole. They worked quickly and were able to fill the sinkhole by 11:50 PM, reopening Charansanitwong Road at the traffic light intersection.
The construction project in question is a wastewater treatment system, a joint effort between the Drainage Department and the Public Works Department, which is a direct responsibility of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). A contractor has been working on the project for four years, and it is scheduled to be completed by the end of June 2026, as per the contract.
Additionally, at 1:00 AM this morning, another road collapse occurred on Phetchaburi Road outbound, opposite the Pheu Thai Party headquarters. The collapsed area is located in the far left lane, approximately 30 centimeters deep, 2 meters long, and 1 meter wide, requiring the closure of one lane of traffic. Initially, rescue workers placed plastic barriers to block the left lane to prevent vehicles from passing and coordinated with relevant parties to inspect and repair the damage.
This morning, Mr. Wisanu Thrapsompol, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, inspected the site along with the Director of Project Management for the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA). The incident occurred while pipes were being laid in preparation for underground power cables. Yesterday's pipe laying caused the soil to loosen, and combined with rainfall, this created pressure that led to the road subsidence. For repairs, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has been contacted to scan the area along the route from the cable junction, approximately 40 meters from the incident site, to check for any remaining soil voids and whether the collapse has affected the pipes underneath. Repair work is expected to take all day, requiring the closure of one traffic lane.