AIA ordered to pay up for Bangkok MRT flooding chaos
Ventilation flaw blamed as tunnel design lets stormwater pour in
A botched construction project caused flooding chaos at Bangkok’s Cultural Centre MRT Station, and now AIA is footing the bill.
The Governor of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), Kajpajon Udomthammaphakdi, has ordered AIA to compensate for damages following a deluge that submerged part of the MRT station on Friday, September 5.
Kajpajon confirmed that AIA has accepted full responsibility for the damages under the terms of the construction contract, after a joint meeting between the MRTA, Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company Limited (BEM), and AIA.
The flooding stemmed from the construction of an underground walkway linking the MRT station to the new AIA office building. The plan had not been included in AIA’s original construction permit, raising questions about compliance and oversight.
According to Kajpajon, the flooding was caused by a design flaw in the tunnel’s ventilation system. Openings in the tunnel roof, which sit level with the road surface on Ratchadaphisek Road, became an entry point for floodwater during heavy rainfall that exceeded 100 millimetres.
When the street flooded, water gushed through the openings and poured into the Cultural Centre MRT Station via the construction zone, particularly near the station’s second entrance.
Following the incident, AIA has suspended all construction indefinitely. The company is now required to submit additional preventive measures before resuming any work.
BEM is currently assessing the full extent of the damage and is expected to report findings by the end of the month, according to KhaoSod.
AIA had initially proposed the underground connection to mimic a similar design at Rama 9 Station. However, the Cultural Centre project deviated from that model and failed to adhere to approved plans.
The MRTA has not indicated when the suspended project might restart, but stressed that any future work must follow strict engineering and safety standards.
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