BANGKOK, Thailand – The Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning (DPT) has reported that 6,276 buildings across Thailand have been inspected following the March 28 earthquake centered in Myanmar. Of these, 52 structures have been declared unsafe and ordered closed, while 5,882 have been cleared for continued use.
The Building Damage Inspection Center, based at DPT headquarters, coordinated with engineering associations and 89 volunteer structural engineers from the private sector to assess the damage. The inspections focused on three main categories, including public and high-occupancy buildings in Bangkok, large private-sector structures subject to annual checks, and general residential properties. Inspections were also conducted across all 76 provinces, with priority given to public facilities such as hospitals and government offices.
In Bangkok, 535 public buildings under 186 government agencies were inspected between March 28 and April 4. Two were classified as unsafe, 44 required caution, and 489 were cleared for regular use. Meanwhile, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has issued notifications to nearly 11,000 private buildings requiring safety evaluations under the Building Control Act. Over 1,200 have already completed inspections.
The BMA has also responded to more than 16,500 of the 18,089 reports submitted by residents via the “Traffy Fondue” platform. In the provinces, 5,741 buildings were examined. Fifty were deemed unsafe, 298 had moderate damage, and 5,393 were considered safe.
Buildings are categorized using a three-tier color code: green for safe use, yellow for moderate damage requiring caution and further inspection, and red for severe structural compromise with access prohibited. These initial classifications may be revised pending detailed engineering analysis. The DPT has opened 24-hour helplines and continues to provide updates through official channels to ensure public safety and transparency in ongoing recovery efforts. (NNT)
