BANGKOK – The Engineering Institute of Thailand under His Majesty the King’s Patronage (EIT) has called on Thai people to be more aware of and prepared for earthquakes, suggesting inspections of buildings to ensure their integrity.
In the wake of the recent deadly tremors in Japan and Ecuador, a seminar has been organized by the EIT to study the incidents and to gauge the risk of earthquakes in Thailand, with an aim of raising public awareness of the issue. Vice President of the EIT Suttisak Soralump, who visited Japan after the quakes to assess the damage, indicated that the country was heavily devastated despite its preparedness for such disaster.
Therefore, he highlighted the necessity for Thailand to safeguard itself more against earthquakes, especially by stringently conducting inspections of houses and establishments that were constructed before the enactment of regulations on earthquake resistance of buildings. He urged responsible agencies to give importance to structural tests and reinforcements as well as search and rescue operations when a quake strikes.
Nonetheless, Mr Suttisak insisted that people should not be over-alarmed by the latest incidents. He said it is only advisable to study the country’s geology in order to accurately determine the chance of earthquakes and have appropriate response plans in place.
