Following the assessment of the building, additional foundation piles were found broken due to the sinkhole that occurred on Sept 24. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
BANGKOK (The Nation Thailand/NN): Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has approved the urgent demolition of the police station after additional foundation piles were found broken, prioritising safety.
Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Oct 4 addressed the urgent issue of Samsen Metropolitan Police Station. Following the assessment of the building, additional foundation piles were found broken due to the sinkhole that occurred on Sept 24.
The Prime Minister confirmed that if the structure is deemed unsafe, the building must be demolished and rebuilt. The Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning, alongside relevant agencies, will inspect the structure.
“Based on the visual inspection on the night of Oct 3, I personally agree that the building must be demolished. The police need a new workplace, as the structure has begun to detach from its core. We will not allow anyone to work in this building under any circumstances,” Charnvirakul stated.
The Prime Minister added that discussions with the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), contractors, and all involved agencies concluded that the building’s balance has been compromised. Combined with its small scale and insufficiently sized foundation piles, the safest course is to rebuild as quickly as possible.
National Police Chief Pol General Kittharath Punpetch noted that engineering experts agreed the cracks and structural damage pose significant risks to future occupants, making reconstruction the most appropriate solution.
Responsibility for rebuilding will lie with the MRTA and the construction company, including costs for temporary police facilities.
No indications were found that the police flats behind the station require demolition, so the urgent intervention is limited to the station building itself.
Pol Lt-Gen Siam Boonsom, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, stated that following the Oct 3 inspection by the Prime Minister and relevant agencies, it was confirmed that the number of broken foundation piles had increased from three to four.
Engineers and relevant officials are currently discussing the situation, with urgent demolition considered a likely course of action to ensure safety. - The Straits Times/ANN
