Natural Resources and Environment Minister Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan has reassured Koh Samui residents that the island remains safe, despite experiencing three minor earthquakes recently.
To address public concerns and provide reassurance, Pol Gen Patcharawat has directed the Mineral Resources Department to install a seismometer on the island to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. The first of these quakes, a 2.4-magnitude tremor, struck on Thursday (May 30), followed by two additional quakes on Saturday, measuring 2.4 and 2.2 in magnitude, respectively. These events were centered in the sea near Bo Phut subdistrict, attributed to a shifting fault line.
Pichit Sombatmak, director general of the Mineral Resources Department, and Dr. Virachart Wiwekwin, director of the active faults unit of the Seismology Division, both confirmed that the quakes were minor and resulted in no structural damage or aftershocks. They also affirmed that Koh Samui is geologically stable and unlikely to experience significant seismic activity.
Mineral Resources Department officials will visit Koh Samui later this week to survey potential installation sites. The initial survey will be followed by a series of discussions among related units to finalize the plan. (NNT)
