Samsen Police Station 70% torn down as sinkhole threat escalates (video)
Engineers race to stabilise site and protect nearby structures
The demolition of Bangkok’s Samsen Police Station is now 70% complete and will finish ahead of schedule, according to officials from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
The move comes after a massive sinkhole opened near the site last month, prompting urgent safety concerns.
Work continued yesterday, October 23, with fire trucks spraying down Samsen Road to control dust. The sinkhole, measuring 30 metres wide, 30 metres long and 20 metres deep, appeared on September 24 above a construction site for the Purple Line rail extension. It triggered fears that the police station might collapse, leading to an immediate demolition order.
Drainage pipes have already been delivered in preparation for the next phase, building a ramp to connect Sukhothai Road to Vajira Hospital. Once the station is completely torn down, the area will be filled and compacted before engineers assess the safety of neighbouring homes and structures. Residents who were evacuated from nearby properties will be allowed to return only once the area is deemed stable.
Thanes Veerasiri, adviser to the Engineering Institute of Thailand, said on Wednesday, October 22, that around half of the station had already been dismantled.
“The contractor initially estimated 20 days for demolition, but it could be completed in less than a week.”
Debris is being crushed and removed at night to reduce disruption.
To protect surrounding properties, crews have installed tarpaulins to block falling debris. The demolition contractor is pushing to reach ground level within five days, with final debris removal following soon after.
Wacharapol Kongsawat, deputy director of the Purple Line electric train project and representative of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), confirmed no structural movement had been detected in nearby buildings. He credited ground-stabilising sand infill for maintaining soil integrity and noted that monitoring of groundwater and soil stability is ongoing, reported Bangkok Post.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, speaking in a Facebook livestream, said reopening Samsen Road is not guaranteed immediately. With schools due to reopen on Monday, October 27, the BMA is considering deploying shuttle buses to ease student transport disruptions. More updates are expected by this afternoon.
The road closure remains in effect until safety assessments are complete, delaying the reopening of a key section of Dusit district.
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