Officials discovered an oil leak beneath the Rama 3 elevated road and are conducting urgent inspections to find additional risk points while restoring the environmentally affected area.
On 17 Sep 2026 GMT+7, reports indicated that officials found traces of oil seeping through the soil at an inspection point beneath a pier of the Rama 3 elevated road. Upon excavation, abnormal conditions were observed in the underground oil pipeline.
Ms. Thitiphat Chotidechachainan, Secretary to the Minister of Energy, immediately coordinated with relevant agencies on-site for inspection. It is initially believed the leak comes from the underground oil pipeline system, with swelling detected on the pipe casing at a joint. However, technicians must verify the leak point and determine the cause.
The pipeline is over 30 years old. Officials will review its maintenance history and consider factors such as pressure and vibrations from the elevated road structure.
After repairing the leak, a Pigging Run Test will inspect the approximately 32-kilometer pipeline to identify additional risk points. Plans include upgrading the leak detection system and pipeline alignment long-term, as well as restoring the environmentally impacted area.