BANGKOK, Thailand – Deputy Permanent Secretary of Bangkok, Narong Rueangsri, inspected the area around Kasetkomon Bridge on Amnuay Songkram Road to monitor progress on repairs following the bridge’s subsidence on the night of October 6. The inspection was accompanied by Chatchaya Khamchan, Deputy Director of the Drainage Department, and Mr. Nipon Sriruang, Director of the Canal System Division, who provided a summary of the cause and the repair plan.
The subsidence was likely caused by excavation work underneath the bridge over the Prem Prachakorn Canal (near Kasetkomon Intersection), where the canal bed was being dredged to a depth of -2.50 meters. The old retaining structure of the bridge had deteriorated over time, and when the soil shifted, it caused the bridge to subside. Additionally, a 300mm asbestos cement water pipe beneath the bridge was damaged and began to leak, eroding the soil and rapidly worsening the subsidence, resulting in a large sinkhole.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Drainage Department has planned to close the road for repairs, which are expected to be completed within five days (October 7-11). Narong discussed with the Drainage Department ways to expedite the process and ordered continuous safety monitoring of the area, ensuring 24-hour oversight until the repairs are completed.
