Samsen Police Station to be demolished after road collapse
Officials confirm site is stable ahead of planned demolition work
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will demolish the Samsen Police Station building on October 22 as part of an urgent effort to restore the area around Vajira Hospital, where a severe road subsidence occurred on September 24.
The collapse occurred above a Purple Line underground station, under construction by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA).
According to the BMA, extensive restoration work has been underway since last week. Between Tuesday and Thursday, the contractor pumped in over 5,300 cubic metres of sand, raising the sunken ground to about 2.65 metres below its original level. Once the area is further filled with coarse sand, demolition will proceed.
Bangkok Deputy Governor Wisanu Subsompon, who inspected the site on Wednesday evening, October 15, said underground conditions have stabilised, allowing the next phase to begin.
“We are proceeding step by step. Addressing everything simultaneously would be hazardous. Safety remains our top priority, as consistently emphasised by Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt.”
Demolition of the police station is expected to take four to five days, followed by about a week of debris clearance. Once cleared, workers will begin restoring the road surface, starting with access to Vajira Hospital’s parking area — a process expected to take several months.
Meanwhile, ongoing safety assessments are being carried out on nearby buildings, including police flats and private structures, to ensure stability in the surrounding zone.
Heavy rains in recent days caused water to accumulate in the sinkhole, but officials see it as a good sign, indicating there is no leakage into the underground tunnel below, reported Bangkok Post.
Joining the inspection were key officials, including Suriya Raviwan, Director of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Director of Public Works Prapas Luangsirinapa, and MRTA Governor Gardphajon Udomdhammabhakdi.
The MRTA previously confirmed that the road collapse was caused by water-saturated, soft soil in the area during tunnelling works for the new rail line.
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