PATTAYA, Thailand – Pattaya City Council has approved THB 3.89 million to repair and reinforce structures beneath Sukhumvit Road after engineers found extensive voids and subsidence around underground pipes, raising concerns that the road surface could collapse. The council approved the budget transfer at its fourth ordinary meeting of 2026, chaired by Pattaya City Council President Praiwan Aromchuen. Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet and city administrators and officials attended the meeting.
Deputy Mayor Krisana Boonsawat proposed transferring THB 3,898,400 from the 2026 expenditure budget to establish a new project for reinforcing the road structure by injecting strengthening material beneath the surface. Pattaya’s Sanitation Engineering Office surveyed the underground structure along Sukhumvit Road from the Sukhumvit-Pattaya-Naklua intersection to the Banglamung District Office intersection.
The inspection found highly porous layers beneath the road, with extensive interconnected voids and gaps. The damage has weakened the supporting road materials and reduced their ability to bear traffic loads, creating a risk of further surface subsidence that could endanger motorists and damage property. The council also questioned whether the repairs could be completed in time for Pattaya’s planned Sukhumvit resurfacing project.
Deputy Mayor Manot Nongyai explained that the work involves two city departments. The Engineering Department is responsible for laying the asphalt, while the Sanitation Department handles the underground drainage and pipe system. The asphalt resurfacing project had already been contracted and was scheduled to cover the section from the relevant intersection toward the seawall. However, during preparations, sanitation officials discovered that underground pipes had subsided along the section between the pipe installation area near the seawall and the bridge.
The discovery prompted the city to halt the resurfacing work temporarily and address the underground problems first.
Under the revised plan, the Sanitation Department will repair and reinforce the underground structures, including concrete block sections, before the road is resurfaced. The repair work is expected to take no more than three months under the contract. The Engineering Department will then lay the new asphalt once the underground repairs and drainage work are completed.
Manot said the sequence was necessary to prevent the newly resurfaced road from subsiding again and having to be dug up for further repairs, which could disrupt traffic and affect Pattaya’s image.
The council approved the THB 3.89 million budget transfer to address the underground structural problems and reduce safety risks for people travelling along Sukhumvit Road.
