A sinkhole of shocking proportions opened in central Bangkok near Vajira Hospital, swallowing vehicles and toppling power poles. Though no casualties have been reported, authorities evacuated nearby buildings and capped utilities as the ground continues to shift.
In Bangkok on Wednesday morning, a section of road above an under-construction subway station collapsed, opening a sinkhole roughly 50 metres deep and spanning about 900 square metres. The collapse occurred along Samsen Road in the Dusit district, adjacent to Vajira Hospital. Local officials immediately declared an emergency zone and ordered evacuation of disaster-prone buildings nearby.
The cave-in is believed to have originated from soil slippage into tunnels being built for the Purple Line of Bangkok’s MRT network. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said that cracks had formed in a “shallower tunnel joint,” allowing water and earth to flow into the station space and undermine surface soil. Broken pipes accelerated the collapse as water eroded soil and destabilized the roadbed. Authorities are monitoring a 100-metre radius around the site for further sliding, especially with ongoing rains in the city.
Power and water supplies were cut to the affected zone, and traffic was diverted. The hospital’s outpatient services have been suspended, though its structural integrity remains assured, officials say. Inpatient services continue, supported by reinforced foundations. Nearby, a police station is also considered at risk: foundation piles under the structure were damaged, and the building was evacuated as a safety precaution.
Officials are racing to stabilize the site by backfilling the crater and pumping water out to avoid further soil movement. Heavy rainfall in Bangkok’s ongoing monsoon season is a concern; further erosion could deepen the sinkhole or cause secondary collapses.
Authorities blocked off roads in the surrounding stretch of Samsen Road from Wachira to Sanghi intersections, and at least three vehicles and two electric poles were swallowed in the collapse. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, an engineer by training, visited the site, declaring the event “engineering in nature” and committing to a full investigation.
The MRT Purple Line project has been temporarily suspended at the location, and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) pledged cooperation with local agencies in stabilization and forensic work. The Purple Line extension is a major infrastructure initiative intended to expand Bangkok’s rail connectivity toward Rat Burana.
Multiple videos of the collapse have been shared on social media, such as this one from Facebook (Akkadej Srivitavate):
Sinkholes of this magnitude are rare in Bangkok, where the alluvial soil conditions and dense urban fabric usually resist sudden collapse. But past warnings about aging infrastructure, leaking pipes, and unchecked ground stress have circulated for years. Earlier in 2025, a construction project in Bangkok collapsed after a Myanmar earthquake, killing dozens of people. That incident heightened scrutiny on safety, compliance, and oversight in large developments.
Experts say Bangkok’s underground infrastructure is now under pressure from multiple fronts: transit expansion, utility works, heavy rainfall, and soil compaction. Soil specialists caution that once a void forms, it can propagate rapidly underground. The interplay between tunnelling and groundwater escape is a known risk in major city construction.
The total cost of repair—structural, financial, human—has yet to be calculated, but disruption is already severe, and early estimates suggest at least a year will be needed to repair the collapsed area. Roads remain closed, commuter routes diverted, local businesses face access issues, and hospitals are forced to suspend certain functions. Investigation teams will need to assess accountability and whether shortcuts or design flaws triggered the collapse.
