(April 7, 2025)—Efforts to clear the rubble of the collapsed building in Bangkok are continuing, with teams successfully reducing the height of the debris in Zone E by five metres to facilitate access for heavy machinery.
This was announced by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) spokesperson Mr Aekvarunyoo Amrapala at the Incident Command Centre in Chatuchak District. The focus of the operation remains on searching Zones B4 and C1 with heavy machinery active across all affected areas.
Despite heavy rainfall earlier in the day, rescue personnel are proceeding with caution to ensure their safety while maintaining hope of finding further survivors. The number of individuals affected by the earthquake remains at 103, with 17 confirmed fatalities, 9 survivors, and 77 people still unaccounted for.
In parallel, the BMA has been addressing reports of structural damage to buildings across the city received via the Traffy Fondue application. Out of 18,684 reported cases, 17,051 have been classified as safe (green), 387 as requiring attention (yellow), and 2 as structurally unsound (red).
A further 1,579 cases are currently under investigation. Over 5,000 building owners and occupants have been instructed to arrange inspections, with 1,935 buildings confirmed safe, 134 requiring specific repairs, and 123 out of 201 cranes cleared for use following safety checks.
The BMA is also providing comprehensive support to those affected, focusing on three key areas: temporary accommodation via Airbnb, temporary shelters at Wat Samian Nari School, and a waiting centre for relatives in Chatuchak District.
Through Airbnb, 613 households have been registered for a total of 7,098 room nights, with credits available for 7-14 nights based on family size and average accommodation costs. These credits are valid for seven days upon issue.
The BMA’s two shelters have varying capacities: Wat Samian Nari School can accommodate 150 people (currently all spaces are free), while the relatives’ waiting centre in Chatuchak has a capacity of 82, with 79 individuals currently staying and 3 spaces available.
Compensation for affected individuals is being processed according to BMA regulations. Residents can register for assistance at any district office within 30 days of the incident (by April 27, 2025).
The criteria and conditions for disaster relief are as follows:
- The disaster (earthquake) caused damage to their primary residence.
- It must be their primary residence and they must have a certificate of disaster victim issued by the district office as evidence, including houses with household registration, rented houses (the tenant receives the assistance), and other affected residences such as primary residences without household registration.
Assistance provided by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Fire and Rescue Department includes: - Costs of repairing primary residences damaged, for owners, up to 49,500 baht based on actual expenses.
- Temporary accommodation or rent allowance, paid only for buildings declared unusable by the BMA and for those not staying in BMA-provided shelters, at 3,000 baht per month for a maximum of 2 months, up to 6,000 baht.
- Funeral expenses for the deceased, 29,700 baht per case, and an additional amount of up to 29,700 baht per family if the deceased was the head of the household or the primary income earner.
- Assistance for the injured (based on medical certificate): severe injury, initial assistance of 4,000 baht; disability, initial assistance of 13,300 baht.
- Emotional support funds (based on medical certificate) for those injured in the disaster, 2,300 baht per case.
- Occupational support funds, up to 11,400 baht per family.
These provisions are based on assessments conducted by district-level committees, who survey the damage and report to the BMA’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department for the allocation of funds from the national Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
As of April 6th, 2025, a total of 4,241 cases have been registered for earthquake relief since March 28th. The districts with the highest numbers of registrations are Chatuchak (813), Huai Khwang (731), Phasi Charoen (679), Phaya Thai (368), and Bang Sue (218). Police officers are present at all 50 district offices during working hours to assist with the registration process.
