Deputy Prime Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has admitted that the restoration of the road surface in front of Vajira Hospital will not be completed by Wednesday or Thursday as planned, due to the need to demolish the subsiding Samsen Police Station building.
Mr Phiphat, who also serves as transport minister, said on Tuesday during a site inspection on Samsen Road, where severe road subsidence occurred on Sept 24, that engineers had found further sinking and cracks in the police station’s structure.
The safety inspection team recommended immediate demolition, a decision approved by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to prevent further risks.
The demolition, however, has delayed road restoration.
The Ministry of Transport and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have apologised for the inconvenience and will soon announce a revised completion timeline. The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) and the construction contractor have adapted their operations to work safely within the limited space.
Demolition of the police station has already started on the left side of the building, near the Vajira Hospital intersection, using long-arm cranes and robotic equipment to carefully dismantle the upper structure and reduce vibrations that could affect the hospital, Mr Phiphat said.
The right side of the station will remain temporarily intact while engineers inject chemicals underground to stabilise the soil before refilling the pit with sand and paving the surface with asphalt. Rebuilding the police station will be the contractor’s responsibility.
The Ministry of Transport has also established a fact-finding committee to determine the cause of the incident. If the contractor is found responsible, it must cover all related costs under the contract terms.
Meanwhile, senior prosecutor Thanakrit Vorathanatchakul on Tuesday commented on a Facebook post stating that if the MRTA is to pay for the damage, it must ensure taxpayer money is used appropriately.
He stressed that if the fault lies with the contractor, they must indemnify the MRTA and rely on their construction insurance to compensate for losses.
As of Tuesday, most of the station’s roof and steel structures had been dismantled to reduce building weight.