Mr. Surapong Piyachote, Deputy Minister of Transport presided over the launching ceremony of the tunnel boring machine for the MRT Purple Line Project: Tao Pun - Rat Burana (Kanchanapisek Road) Section - Contract 4: Memorial Bridge – Dao Khanong Section at the launching shaft construction site, Somdech Phra Pinklao Hospital Station, Somdech Phrachao Taksin Road, Samre, Thon Buri, Bangkok. The ceremony was attended by Dr. Ernst Reichel, Ambassador of Germany to Thailand, Mr. Montri Tungcharoenthavorn, Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr. Sorapong Paitoonphong, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport (Head of Transport Mission Group), Pol. Maj. Gen. Thawat Wongsanga, Deputy Commissioner General of Metropolitan Police Bureau, Mr. Pichet Kunathamaraks, Director-General of the Department of Rail Transport, Mr. Montri Dechasakulsom, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MRTA, Mr. Vithaya Punmongkol, Deputy Governor (Operations), Acting Governor of MRTA, Mr. Prasong Suviwattanachai, Managing Director of Unique Engineering and Construction Public Company Limited (UNIQ), and representatives from relevant agencies such as  Naval Medical Department, Samitivej Thonburi Hospital, Somdech Phra Pin Klao Hospital, Khlong San District Office, and Thonburi District Office.

Mr. Surapong Piyachote, Deputy Minister of Transport, said that Mr. Suriya Jungrungreangkit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, has assigned MRTA to supervise and control the implementation of all MRT projects to be in accordance with the plan in order to help drive the country’s investment, fulfill the mass rapid transit system network, and improve standard of public transport services, so that the public can use public rail transport system that is convenient, fast, punctual, reasonably priced, equally accessible , safe, and environmentally friendly, in accordance with the policy of “Transport for Thailand’s Opportunity”.

The MRT Purple Line Project is one of the projects under the Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok Metropolitan Region that Ministry of Transport has given importance to monitoring its progress continuously and the launching of the tunnel boring machine today shows the progress of the project in a tangible way. UNIQ, the contractor of the Contract 4, has introduced modern technology and equipment to assist in the operation to ensure that the construction meets the standards and is completely safe for both the workers themselves and passersby. In addition, the Ministry of Transport focuses on the implementation of measures to reduce environmental impacts and PM 2.5 during construction. The Ministry also gives importance to alleviating traffic impacts by emphasizing integration between MRTA and relevant agencies to facilitate road users, and use of road surfaces for construction activities as necessary in order to cause the least impact on the public.

Mr. Vithaya Punmongkol, Deputy Governor (Operations), Acting Governor of MRTA said that the MRT Purple Line Project: Tao Pun - Rat Burana (Kanchanapisek Road) Section civil works progress at the end of December 2024 is 47.95 percent, against the planned progress of 40.10 percent and is scheduled to open for service within 2029. Total seven tunnel boring machines are used in underground railway construction for this the project, two for the Contract 4: Memorial Bridge – Dao Khanong Section uses. The two tunnel boring machines are driven from Somdech Phra Pinklao Hospital Station to Memorial Bridge Station and they will be lifted up and move to this launching shaft again. After that, they will be driven to Cut & Cover area where is a transition between the underground railway and elevated railway heading to Dao Khanong Station. The 2 tunnel boring machine is the earth pressure balance technology which is a system for controlling the balance of pressure during drilling and is suitable for soft soil conditions of Bangkok.