Samsen Road sinkhole: leak repaired and road reopened

A sinkhole on Samsen Road opened again near the Boon Rawd company in Bangkok’s Dusit district. An inspection found an opening in a drainage pipe linked to construction work, through which water was washing away the soil. The contractor fixed the leak and began filling the sunken spot, and district authorities then reported that the road surface had been restored and normal traffic had resumed.

The new incident happened in front of the Boon Rawd brewery on Samsen Road in the Dusit district. It should not be confused with the earlier major collapse near Vachira Hospital: this is a different section of the same street. Current as of November 2026. For your trip, follow the latest road notices: restrictions may change even after an announcement that the road has reopened.

What is known

According to Matichon, the subsidence occurred in front of the Boon Rawd company, and the estimated depth of the hole was 1.5 m. The TV channel TNN reported a radius of about 4 m — this refers to the radius, not the diameter. This was a local November incident, not a description of the old accident near the hospital.

According to TNN, the contractor had already fenced off the construction zone to keep vehicles out before the incident. Kaosod, citing local authorities, reported that there were no injuries. For travel rules and risks, you can also read about road safety in Thailand.

Samsen Road sinkhole: timeline and repairs

A new subsidence was recorded On November 9, 2026, at 15:28, TNN reported. Already that afternoon, 15:55 the Dusit district administration issued a warning to drivers, as reported by the international broadcaster Thai PBS World. At that time, drivers were advised to avoid the damaged section.

Later, 20:58 the contractor began tearing up the road surface for repairs. By late evening, an inspection pointed to a defect in the construction drainage pipe. At night the leak was sealed and filling of the sinkhole began, after which traffic restoration started. Therefore, the daytime detour warning should not be read as a report of an ongoing road closure.

Cause of the subsidence and traffic restoration

The FM radio station reported that during an inspection near the site 22:30 they found an unsealed opening in the drainage pipe linked to construction. Water was draining through it and washing soil out from under the pavement. The contractor sealed the leak point and began filling the void that had formed.

Bangkok’s deputy governor described work in a shaft with sheet-pile shoring, where pipes are installed by pipe jacking. He also suggested that water could have gradually seeped out of a drainage pipe near the sidewalk. This is a preliminary engineering explanation, not a final conclusion of an independent investigation or proof that a specific company is to blame.

According to Kaosod, traffic became possible by 05:05. Matichon separately notes that on November 10 at 05:15, the Dusit district administration reported that the road surface had been repaired and normal traffic restored. These two times refer to different events: the reopening of traffic and the publication of the district report.

How the new sinkhole differs from the September one

The earlier collapse happened September 24, 2025 in front of Vachira Hospital. This follows from a report in the archive of official notices from Bangkok’s Department of Public Works. At that time, traffic was closed between the Vachira Phayaban intersection and the Sangkhi intersection. These old restrictions do not describe the situation near Boon Rawd.

In an early operational update, authorities had not yet confirmed the exact size of the earlier hole. The Bangkok Post later reported plans to reopen the section near the hospital after repairs in October 2027. This deadline refers to the September collapse, not to the new subsidence site, where the district has already announced that traffic has been restored.

What to do

Before traveling through Dusit, check the latest announcements on the official website of the Dusit district administration and traffic police notices. A navigation app can show restrictions and help you pick a route if conditions have changed. It helps to allow extra time or consider public transport; for more details, see the article about transport in Bangkok.

The authorities’ detour warning was issued after the new collapse, but the district administration then reported that traffic had reopened. Bangkok’s governor said authorities were already scanning for underground voids and might repeat the check; there is no confirmation of additional scanning after this accident. An open road does not mean that all engineering surveys are complete for neighboring sections.