A tenant living close to a Bangkok tunnel construction site has packed up and left her room, saying she has no plans to return even after repairs are finished.
The move follows a water leak that occurred on July 8 at the Purple Line South extension tunnel, between Tao Poon and Ratburana, near Wongwian Yai station. The project is being built by Unique Engineering and Construction PCL. After cracks were discovered in the area, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ordered residents within 30 metres of the site to evacuate and banned the use of nearby buildings for safety reasons.
On July 11, Ornicha Damee, a woman renting a room near the site, said she decided to move out immediately once she learned how serious the situation was.
Ornicha said she had been resting in her room when the leak happened and only learned about it the next day through news reports. Living alone with no relatives nearby, she said the news left her panicked.
She had been staying on the third floor of the building. Although her own room showed no cracks, she said cracks had appeared lower down, and staff at the dorm told her the walls had been affected by ground movement. This left her increasingly worried about the building’s safety.
Ornicha added that her room was near the site of the leak, and she feared any further subsidence could affect the whole building. She said construction work had continued throughout her time living there, which had already made her uneasy even before the leak occurred.
She has since moved into a new place and said she will not return to her old room even if repairs are completed and the site is declared safe. She said her personal safety mattered more than anything else, and she did not want to risk another incident, reported Amarin TV.
The story Tenant flees dorm near Purple Line tunnel crack as seen on Thaiger News.
