21-6-2023 (BANGKOK) The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) warned on Tuesday that a significant earthquake in Myanmar could potentially cause damage to buildings in Bangkok that were constructed prior to the nation’s revised building codes in 2007, which aimed to enhance quake resistance.
The alert followed a 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar’s southern coastal region on Monday morning. The quake, with its epicenter approximately 490 kilometers west of Bangkok, reverberated through numerous high-rise structures across the capital and Nonthaburi.
Oranuj Lorphensri, the chief of DMR, explained that the epicenter of the earthquake was located along the Sagaing fault, a 1,200-kilometer-long seismic fault line in Myanmar that is known for its high level of tectonic activity.
Historically, the fault has been responsible for significant earthquakes, with 10 temblors measuring above 6.8 magnitude recorded between 1905 and 2012. The most powerful earthquake occurred in 1912, registering a magnitude of 7.9.
Based on the DMR’s latest forecast, a major earthquake with a magnitude of at least 7.5 is likely to occur around the year 2030.
“The earthquake will impact our capital. Older buildings may experience minor damage, such as small cracks. However, newer structures are unlikely to be significantly affected,” stated Lorphensri.
The DMR has identified 16 active faults in Thailand that traverse 23 provinces. Some of these faults have caused small earthquakes in the past, including the Srisawat fault in Kanchanaburi, the Mae Hong Son fault in the North, and the Ranong fault in the South.
Between 1912 and 2022, six earthquakes originated from faults within Thailand, while 46 were recorded along fault lines located in neighboring regions, such as Myanmar and China’s Yunnan province.
Tanit Jaisa-ard, a civil engineering expert from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), assured that the Department of Public Works, Town and Country Planning at City Hall has implemented regulations to ensure the safety of high-rise buildings in the event of an earthquake.
Jaisa-ard emphasized that buildings in the capital constructed after 2007, particularly high-rise condominiums and office buildings, are designed to withstand seismic activity. The department is planning to conduct inspections of older buildings that are five stories or higher and were built prior to 2007.
