Chadchart Inspects Road Collapse at Fai Chai Intersection, Mobilizes Emergency Repairs Expected to Complete Tonight, Concerned About Safety of Nearby Buildings
A major road collapse at Bangkok's Fai Chai intersection was caused by soil flowing into a siphon pipe during canal tunnel construction, worsened by an overweight truck passing overhead. Governor Chadchart mobilized emergency repairs expect
On May 9th, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, Deputy Governor Wisnusak Sampol, and officials from the Bang Kok Noi District Office and the BMA Engineering Department jointly inspected the collapsed road area at the Fai Chai intersection. Governor Chadchart explained that the BMA's Engineering Department was responsible for constructing a siphon pipe to allow canal water to flow beneath a new tunnel. Since the tunnel crosses the canal, piping was necessary to maintain water flow, with pipes being pushed from the opposite side to connect. However, before completion, soil allegedly flowed into the pipe. The situation was compounded when an overweight truck passed through at that moment, creating underground voids that caused the road to collapse. The repair will involve removing the road surface or using heavy equipment to compact fill soil before pouring new concrete, with completion expected tonight.
Authorities expressed two main concerns: the safety of nearby buildings with foundation piles 21 meters deep, while the problematic water tunnel lies at 12 meters depth—though no structural cracks have been detected so far. Officials will continue monitoring nearby buildings and prevent further soil settling while restoring traffic as quickly as possible. Regarding the overweight truck, security camera footage will be reviewed to determine if such a vehicle was present during the collapse, following similar incidents on Sukhumvit Road and at the Moh Leng intersection where overweight trucks were identified as contributing factors. The BMA has issued over 10,000 traffic citations to overweight trucks detected by weight sensors, successfully reducing violations. The Ban Kok Noi District Director has been appointed incident commander.
