Bangkok: The new Samsen Police Station has been demolished, leaving only its structure, as the building was found to be moving at an average rate of 2 millimeters per hour. Disaster advisors from the Council of Engineers revealed that the demolition was halted this morning to assess safety before deciding which section to dismantle next.

According to Thai News Agency, a recent survey conducted this morning showed that the new Samsen Police Station building is leaning more than before, particularly at the center, which is clearly leaning toward the hole. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) disaster prevention and mitigation officials used cameras to monitor the building throughout the night and discovered it was moving continuously, averaging about 2 millimeters per hour. The movement only ceased this morning.

For the initial operation, officials plan to gradually dismantle the building’s remains to avoid damaging the structure. The roof, floors, and walls will be dismantled incrementally. Robots will be employed to carry out the demolition to ensure worker safety. The floor will be cut into squares and then clamped down. Throughout the operation, officials will use measurement devices to monitor the building’s movement and any potential soil slides.

This morning, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt livestreamed on his personal Facebook page, announcing that 800 cubic meters of sand had been filled in last night, with an additional 1,200 cubic meters added this morning, bringing the total sand in the pit to approximately 5,000 cubic meters. The demolition of the building is scheduled to resume this afternoon. Although rain is expected today, there is no cause for concern.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Thanet Weerasiri, Disaster Advisor to the Council of Engineers, visited the site this morning and reported that the overall demolition work from yesterday until last night has been partially completed, but has not yet reached the stage of complete demolition. The demolition work was paused this morning to conduct a safety assessment before determining the next sections to demolish.

The building is currently in a condition suitable for demolition, but the structural condition will need to be periodically assessed. Regarding the hospital, there are relatively few patients in the special clinic today, with public transportation available. Over 3,600 patients are expected to receive services tomorrow, which poses a potential issue, as over 5,000 patients were managed last Wednesday without incident.