Bangkok: In a late-night operation, the Prime Minister inspected a water leak in the MRT Purple Line South tunnel at Wongwian Yai roundabout, fearing a repeat of the road collapse incident at Wachiraphyaban Hospital. He acknowledged that past mistakes have highlighted the need for preparedness to ensure public safety. Officials reported that the situation was under control.
According to Thai News Agency, at 00:05 AM today (July 9, 2026), Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul inspected the area around the King Taksin roundabout after a water leak occurred throughout the day in a drainage pit under the tunnel of the Purple Line South elevated train construction site. The leak started yesterday morning, and the water level began to rise following heavy rainfall today. He was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Ministers Siripong Angkasakulkiat, Patarapong Pataraprasit, Sanphet Bunyamanee, and Worasit Liengprasit.
The Prime Minister stated that the situation is being viewed from an engineering perspective, and preventative measures are being implemented using engineering principles. Currently, the water level in the tunnel is not at a level that requires road closure; it can be controlled. The structural condition of Wongwian Yai differs from the incident at Vajira Hospital, where the tunnel structure collapsed, pulling the road surface down with it. In this case, they saw the leak and the incident from the beginning. Efforts are underway to seal the leak and monitor the water level in the tunnel. Currently, they are maintaining the water level, and there are no signs of it increasing. Meanwhile, the MRTA has coordinated the installation of motion monitoring equipment for buildings, and no unusual incidents have been reported.
Regarding the urgency of the response in the middle of the night due to concerns about a repeat of the incident, Mr. Anutin stated that they had learned from the negative experience at Vajira Hospital, which is why they were prepared with warning systems and assistance for the public. He emphasized the importance of public safety, noting that discussions with the MRTA governor, consulting engineers, and contractors confirmed that the situation was under control, and they would expedite repairs to restore normalcy as quickly as possible.
When asked by reporters whether the Prime Minister had called to wake up several deputy ministers, Mr. Anutin immediately replied, "In the group LINE chat, I told them I was on my way to the scene." As for whether this was the kind of scene the Prime Minister wanted to see, the Prime Minister stated that it happens all the time.