Fourth sinkhole appears at Pathumwan Intersection

Bangkok Deputy Governor Theerachon Manomaipibul as well as officials from the Drainage, Sewerage and Public Works Department inspected the site between the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre and the Siam Discovery shopping mall.

 

Inspection found that the soil and sand under the road surface had seeped into a large drainage pipe, leaving a void, and the constant weight of vehicles had resulted in the sinkhole. It is estimated that four or five more spots in the area might be prone to subsidence as they are along the drainage system, Theerachon said. 

 

Officials will scan the area for more voids while the sinkhole is being repaired, he added.

 

As a long-term solution, Theerachon has also instructed Bangkok’s 50 district offices to examine key roads in their areas, especially old and often repaired ones. Public works officials should be called upon for further inspection if any voids are found beneath the roads and repairs should be done before the subsidence occurs. 

 

Theerachon added that city officials were in the process of inspecting 21 roads, 12 tunnels and 42 bridges. 

 

The Pathumwan intersection sinkhole is the fourth to occur in less than four weeks. The first, a 5-metre-wide and 1m deep sinkhole, occurred last month in the middle of Rama IV Road near the Thai-Belgium Bridge. Earlier this month, a section of the footpath along Rama III Road caved in, causing a 3m-wide and 5m-deep hole, while another 50cm-wide sinkhole occurred on Charoen Krung Road.