On the morning of September 24, 2025, Bangkok residents awoke to a startling sight: a massive sinkhole, estimated at 50 meters (160 feet) deep, had opened up on Samsen Road, right in front of Vajira Hospital and a local police station. The sudden collapse, which occurred in a bustling residential district of Thailand’s capital, pulled down power lines, burst a major water main, and sent shockwaves through the community. While the incident caused significant disruption and forced evacuations, authorities confirmed that—remarkably—there were no casualties.
According to AFP, the scene was quickly cordoned off by dozens of police and city officials. A pickup truck was left teetering precariously on the edge of the gaping hole, a dramatic image that would soon circulate widely on social media and news outlets. Residents nearby were ordered to evacuate, and roads in the vicinity were closed as a precaution. The local police station directly facing the collapse was evacuated, and senior police officer Sayam Boonsom ordered the evacuation of nearby apartment blocks to ensure public safety.
Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of Bangkok’s disaster prevention department, spoke to AFP reporters at the site. He explained, “There was a leak in the water pipe—water from the pipe eroded (earth) under the road, so this incident happened.” He further detailed that the eroded soil was drawn into an under-construction subway station below, which ultimately led to the collapse. “The water that eroded brought some soil that dropped down to an under-construction subway station, causing the collapse,” Suriyachai said, emphasizing that no injuries were reported.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt corroborated this assessment, telling AFP, “The location is at a station, and the soil was sucked into the site... it collapsed.” The tunnel beneath the road is part of a new underground service being developed by the state-run Mass Rapid Transit Authority, which promptly announced an investigation into the cause of the cave-in. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also visited the site, ordering a thorough review and swift action to stabilize the area, especially with forecasts predicting heavy rain from tropical storm Ragasa later that week.
Initial assessments, as reported by local news and confirmed by Prime Minister Anutin, pointed to a combination of factors: persistent heavy rainfall, a leaky water pipe, and the shifting of groundwater around the subway construction site. The soil, saturated and destabilized, slid into the adjacent train station area, causing the surface above to give way. Authorities from Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) released footage showing their teams working to stabilize the sinkhole as soon as the collapse occurred. By September 25, plans were underway to pour concrete into the void, aiming to shore up the site before more rain could exacerbate the damage.
The impact of the sinkhole rippled through the local community. Vajira Hospital, a major teaching facility for one of Thailand’s top medical universities, was forced to suspend outpatient services temporarily. In a Facebook post, hospital administrators assured the public that services would "resume as soon as possible." For local residents, the event was both alarming and disruptive. Noppadech Pitpeng, a 27-year-old hospital staffer who lived in a nearby building, recounted his experience to AFP: “The sound was like an electricity pole collapsing, and my whole flat shook.” Carrying his belongings out in a large bucket, he admitted he was frightened by the rumbling that woke him up that morning.
The sinkhole also caused a water outage in the area, as the burst main disrupted supply to surrounding homes. Residents were seen queuing for water, some standing outside their homes with buckets in hand, while city workers inspected the damage and attempted to restore essential services. As power lines had also been pulled down, utility crews worked alongside disaster teams to secure the area and prevent further hazards.
While the physical consequences of the sinkhole were severe, the event also sparked a digital storm. Images purporting to show crowds standing at the edge of the sinkhole near a high-rise building quickly went viral on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Threads. Some users questioned the safety measures in place, with comments such as, “Why didn’t the police cordon the area off? That’s dangerous.” Others mocked content creators for allegedly putting themselves at risk. However, as AFP’s fact-checking team discovered, one widely shared image was not a genuine photograph at all—it was AI-generated. A reverse image search revealed that the image bore a SynthID watermark, indicating it had been made or modified using Google AI tools. Further analysis highlighted visual inconsistencies, such as a figure appearing to hover over the edge of the sinkhole and missing details compared to verified video footage. In reality, as AFP’s own photos and video confirmed, the site had been securely cordoned off, and there was no space for crowds to gather near the edge.
Authorities acted swiftly to dispel misinformation, emphasizing that public safety was their top priority. The Bangkok disaster prevention department, along with the Mass Rapid Transit Authority and city officials, maintained strict control over the affected area. The false image’s circulation underscored the challenges of managing not only the immediate physical risks of such disasters but also the spread of digital misinformation in the aftermath.
As the city braced for more rain, the focus shifted to long-term recovery and prevention. Engineers and construction teams worked around the clock to stabilize the sinkhole, pouring concrete and reinforcing the subway station’s foundations. Investigations into the cause continued, with officials promising transparency and accountability. For many in Bangkok, the event was a sobering reminder of the city’s vulnerability to infrastructure failures, especially in the face of rapid urban development and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
Despite the dramatic images and the significant disruption, the absence of casualties was a point of relief for both residents and officials. The coordinated response from emergency services, the swift evacuation orders, and the diligent efforts to stabilize the site were widely credited with preventing a tragedy. As Bangkok moves forward, the lessons learned from this incident will likely shape future projects and disaster preparedness strategies, ensuring that the city remains resilient in the face of unexpected challenges.
