BANGKOK, Oct 24 — The demolition of the Samsen police station building has reached 70 per cent completion and is expected to be fully dismantled by Saturday.
According to Bangkok Post (BP), the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration officials stated that the site will be prepared for the installation of a new drainage system, followed by the construction of a ramp linking Sukhothai Road to Vajira Hospital.
On September 24, Samsen Road collapsed, creating a 50-metre-deep sinkhole near the hospital, forcing evacuations, disrupting utilities and causing severe traffic disruptions.
Around 50 per cent of the police station had been removed as of Wednesday, with protective tarpaulins installed to shield nearby houses from debris, BP reported.
Once demolition concludes, the site will be filled and compacted before engineers assess the stability of surrounding buildings and homes whose occupants were relocated for safety reasons.
Residents will be allowed to return once inspections confirm the area’s safety, and discussions will be held on when the road can be reopened to traffic.
Wacharapol Kongsawat, deputy director of the Purple Line project and representative of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) told BP that no movement had been detected in nearby buildings due to sand filling that stabilised the ground.
He added that officials continue to monitor groundwater levels and soil stability to ensure compliance with safety standards.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, in a Facebook livestream on Thursday, said the reopening of Samsen Road may take time as detailed planning remains necessary.
Authorities had earlier concluded that the police station was at risk of collapse, resulting in its demolition and the indefinite postponement of the road’s reopening.
