Prime Minister Anutin led a team to Wongwian Yai late at night to inspect a water leak in the Purple Line MRT tunnel construction, fearing a repeat of previous road collapses. The MRTA confirmed the situation is under control, water levels are stable, and there is no need to close traffic.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the area around Somdet Phra Chao Taksin Circle after a water leak occurred throughout the day inside a manhole beneath the Purple Line MRT tunnel construction. The leak began this morning, with water levels rising due to heavy rainfall. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Transport Siripong Angkasakulkiat, Patthapong Patraprasit, Deputy Minister of Transport Sanphet Boonyamanee, and Deputy Minister of Interior Worasit Liangprasith also joined the inspection.
The Prime Minister said the situation is being monitored from an engineering perspective, with solutions based on engineering principles. Currently, water levels in the tunnel do not require road closures. Water volume is controllable. The Wongwian Yai structure differs from the past incident at Vajira Hospital where the tunnel collapsed along with the road surface. In this case, the leak was noticed early, and efforts are underway to seal it and monitor water levels. Since morning, water levels have been maintained with no signs of increase. Meanwhile, the MRTA has coordinated installation of building movement sensors. The situation remains normal and is under close watch, with inspections expected to conclude soon.
Asked if the late-night urgency was due to concern about avoiding a repeat incident, Anutin said that previous bad experiences like the Vajira Hospital collapse have taught them to be prepared with alerts and assistance for the public. The priority is public safety. Discussions with the governor, MRTA, consulting engineers, and contractors all confirm the situation is controllable. Repairs will be expedited to restore normal conditions quickly.
When a reporter joked that the Prime Minister had called many ministers to come and the place was crowded, Anutin replied that the group LINE chat informed him they were coming to the site. Asked if this was a scene the Prime Minister wanted to see, he said such incidents happen regularly. The visit was not announced for the media; the priority was to assess the situation thoroughly first.
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