Bangkok hosted a seminar to boost preparedness for earthquakes in the Thai capital on Wednesday.
Titled “Turkey Earthquake: How Ready is Bangkok”, the seminar aimed to increase public knowledge and understanding of earthquakes while encouraging preparedness among relevant agencies.
“Major earthquakes in Turkey and Syria earlier this month gave us important lessons on preparing for a disaster in city areas,” said deputy governor Wisanu Subsompon as he opened the seminar.
“We have invited earthquake experts from several institutes to help identify Bangkok’s readiness for earthquakes and explore areas where we are still lacking,” he added.
The seminar was led by Deputy Governor Tavida Kamolvej and joined by academics from Thammasat and Kasetsart universities, officials from Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning, and Bangkok rescue and fire-station workers.
Wisanu said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was committed to enhancing public safety in case of earthquakes, especially by inspecting building structures in risky areas to ensure they complied with regulations.
The deputy governor said the 2007 Building Control Act and its 2021 amendment stipulate load-bearing, resistance and anti-vibration specifications for buildings in case of earthquake.
A BMA survey found that 3,028 buildings comply with the regulations. However, about 10,386 buildings were built before the law became effective and therefore require close monitoring, he explained.
“The BMA prioritises disaster prevention and mitigation in city areas and has prepared qualified officials and equipment in case of emergency,” said Wisanu. “We also deployed officials to the USAR Thailand team in the search and rescue mission in Turkey earlier this month.”
The seminar saw earthquake experts share knowledge and experience in disaster prevention, including how to prepare and act in case of an earthquake. They also gave tips to attendees on how to make their building earthquake-ready, and offered suggestions for the city’s current safety regulations.
