11 July 2024

Water leaking into an MRT train carriage on Tuesday may have come from the air conditioners, not from the heavy rainfall, as earlier speculated.

Ditsapol Padungkul, former president of the Thai Railway Engineering Association, said he discussed the matter with Vithaya Punmongkol, deputy governor (operations) of the Thai Railway Engineering Association.

He quoted Vithaya as saying that the water entering the carriage is likely to have been due to the air conditioners being unable to handle the excessive condensation, caused by high humidity following the heavy rain.

The incident came to light after a video clip showed a passenger sitting in a carriage on a Blue Line train, travelling between Taopoon and Tha Phra stations, using an umbrella to shelter from the water dripping from above.

The clip went viral, with many speculating that it was rainwater, as that day, Bangkok was hit by heavy rain and strong winds.

Nattakwang, who identified herself as the passenger in the clip, told the media that the incident happened at about 6:30pm, which was rush hour, and the carriage was crowded.

She said she did not file a complaint when she disembarked at Taopoon station because she was just wet, not injured.

Bangkok Expressway and Metro (BEM), the Blue Line operator, issued a statement on Wednesday, indicating that they undertook a preliminary investigation as soon as the train arrived at Tha Phra station and ordered the transfer of all passengers to another train.

The train in question was also taken out of service, pending the outcome of a full investigation into the cause of the leaks.