Rama II road collapse triggers emergency in Samut Sakhon; citywide water outage and gridlock

Authorities are closely monitoring developments after a road collapse on Rama II Road caused major disruption on Saturday morning, with traffic at a standstill and a citywide water outage declared in Samut Sakhon.

The incident occurred on the parallel lane of Rama II Road at Km 29+300, inbound to Bangkok, opposite Thawee Kha Watsadu hardware shop in Samut Sakhon province.

The Waterworks Division of Samut Sakhon Municipality has declared an emergency, announcing that a 1,000mm main water pipeline beneath the road has ruptured. As a result, tap water supply has been cut across all service areas of Samut Sakhon Municipality. Motorists are urged to avoid the affected area.

Traffic disruption

The Samut Sakhon traffic police said motorists should avoid Rama II Road inbound to Bangkok near Km 29, close to the Big Song shopping centre, where the major water pipe burst caused the right-side parallel lane to collapse.

Only one left-hand lane on the parallel road remains passable, with standing water in the area. Traffic has been diverted back onto the main carriageway before the collapse site.

Highway police confirmed that the road subsided into a large sinkhole, sending a pickup truck nose-first into the hole, causing severe damage to the vehicle. Traffic is heavily congested in both inbound and outbound directions.

Preliminary checks found the sinkhole to be around three metres wide. The pickup truck has already been recovered, and no injuries were reported. Authorities have sealed off the area, installed barriers and warning signs, and are continuing repairs and investigations.

Travel advice

Motorists heading into Bangkok are strongly advised to avoid Rama II Road during this period. Authorities recommend using alternative routes, including shortcuts to Phetkasem Road, to reduce delays and congestion.

Officials remain on site as repair work on the damaged pipeline and road structure continues.