BANGKOK — The community in the Dusit district in Bangkok woke up to a scene straight out of a nightmare yesterday after a huge sinkhole opened up on Samsen Road, swallowing vehicles and utility poles, and cutting off a key part of one of Bangkok’s oldest neighbourhoods.
The incident took place just after 7 am, right outside Vajira Hospital, and laid bare the challenges facing the city’s underground infrastructure. Emergency services evacuated residents, hospital activities stopped in their tracks, and government leaders rushed to the scene.
Thankfully, nobody was hurt, but officials now warn repairs could last until late next year. The effects will linger, especially for those using Samsen Road and waiting for the extended MRT Purple Line.
Eyewitness reports described chaos and disbelief. Boonmee Laowattana, a retired resident, said, “I was having my morning coffee by the street when the road began making noises. Suddenly, the ground cracked open, cars slid in, poles toppled, and water poured everywhere.
I panicked and ran.” Videos quickly spread on social media, showing a pickup truck slipping over the edge, electricity poles snapping, and even a police tow truck from nearby Samsen station falling into the sinkhole. By midday, the hole had grown, forcing over 100 people from their homes and moving police work more than 2km away.
The hole is hard to miss. It measures about 30 metres wide and 30 metres long, with a depth of over 50 metres—the height of a 16-storey building. The surface covers around 900 square metres, large enough to take in three vehicles, two electricity poles, and several water pipes, which led to muddy water spilling into the MRT tunnel below.
The Metropolitan Electricity Authority quickly cut power and water to stop further danger. The once-busy stretch between Vajira Hospital and Sanghi intersection fell silent, closed off by tape and barriers. This brought traffic to a near stop on other routes, like Phra Athit Road, making short trips drag on for an hour or more.
At the centre of the disruption is Vajira Hospital, a 114-year-old mainstay in the area that serves thousands every week. The hospital cancelled all outpatient visits through Friday, affecting around 3,500 appointments.
Dr. Anong Sukprasert, the hospital’s director, explained their decision: “The noise from underground was loud and frightening. We put safety first and transferred over 200 outpatients and 50 inpatients to Siriraj Hospital right away.”
Main hospital care continues, but clinics and the medical faculty paused in-person activities, moving classes online for now. Engineers reassured everyone that the hospital’s strong foundations reach below the tunnel, so it remains steady. Still, staff are on edge and now work in areas lined with sandbags, on alert for more trouble.
Samsen Police Station
One of the hardest hit sites is the five-storey Samsen Police Station, which has served the area for generations. The station stands close to the sinkhole’s edge. Its tow truck and some essential gear vanished as the ground gave way, and the shifting soil damaged part of its foundation.
Officers evacuated quickly and relocated to a temporary workspace. Suchatvee Suwansawat, a Thai Kao Mai Party leader with an engineering background, inspected the scene, saying: “Soil is washing away like sand in a timer.
We’re watching for movement with lasers to see if demolition may be needed.” The national police chief stressed safety, and no injuries occurred among the 100 staff now working off-site. Barriers reinforce the building for now, but many police families who lived there are waiting to hear when—or if—they can return.
Attention has shifted to the cause, which comes from below. The Purple Line extension, a 23km rail project connecting Tao Poon, Dusit, and Rat Burana, runs beneath the collapsed section and was due for completion in 2027. The station at Vajira Hospital sits right where the tunnel’s depth changes, considered a weaker spot.
Sinkhole 50 Meters Deep
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, who arrived early at the site, blamed cracks in the shallower tunnel, which let dirt slip inside. Heavy rain and a broken drainage pipe made it worse. “It happened at a known weak spot.
No one was hurt, but cars, utilities, and infrastructure suffered. Crews are now placing sandbags and concrete to stabilize it, but more rain could increase the problem.
Every team is working around the clock,” Chadchart said. He announced 10 million baht in emergency aid for affected families and called for a full review of tunnel construction, stopping all work at the site until experts check the soil.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the area before his cabinet’s ceremony nearby. He tried to ease worries, saying, “It was bad luck that soil from the construction area slid in, but we are grateful no one was hurt.
Proper repairs to the subway tunnel may take about a year—foundations need rebuilding, leaks must be plugged, and stability carefully tested.” Bangkok has long struggled with sinking ground, losing up to two centimetres a year due to groundwater use.
Past cases, like the 2019 Wat Saket sinkhole, have slowed city improvements. Anutin promised accountability, pointing to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority, which has now paused work and sent experts to investigate.
Crane Removes Truck
By sunset, work crews removed the last trapped vehicle from the hole, using cranes and trucks loaded with sandbags to curb flooding. Pumping equipment cleared the water, and search dogs checked the area for more dangers.
Local officials teamed up with disaster response teams, and the electricity board started restoring power where possible. Still, the timeline for repairs remains long. The Purple Line, expected to carry half a million people each day and ease Bangkok’s traffic, now faces long setbacks and rising costs.
Noppadech Pitpeng, a nurse from Vajira Hospital forced out of his home, summed up the community’s fears: “How long will our luck hold? This road and hospital are the centre of our lives. Underground construction is progress, but it comes at a price.”
Samsen Road, steeped in Bangkok’s history from royal ceremonies to daily life, now has a deep scar both in the land and in public trust. As crews work through the night.
