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Published on September 15, 2007

The draft ministerial regulation identifies Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon as provinces that might be affected by distant earthquakes due to their soft soil.

"It is clear that Bangkok felt the tremors when a massive earthquake with the magnitude of 7 or 8 on the Richter scale occurred near Sumatra island," Dr Voravuth Tantivanich, an adviser to the ministry's Mineral Resources Department, said yesterday.

He said Bangkok would also be affected by earthquakes along the Three Pagodas and Sri Sawas fault lines, because they are barely 200 kilometres from the capital.

Voravuth said there was also a fault line in southern Bangkok and even a small earthquake there could shake the entire capital.

Tossaporn Nuch-anong, head of the department's Environment Division, said the Cabinet had already approved the draft ministerial regulation.

"The Council of State is reviewing it," he said.

Once the regulation takes effect, buildings in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces must be designed to withstand earthquakes.

Currently, only 10 provinces in Thailand are identified as being at risk form earthquakes: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Kanchanaburi, Lampang, Lamphun, Tak, Nan, Phrae, Phayao and Kanchanaburi.

The new regulation will add 12 provinces to the list. Aside from Bangkok and surrounding provinces, Krabi, Chumphon, Phuket, Surat Thani, Phang Nga, Ranong and Songkhla in the South will also enter the list.

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin yesterday confirmed that the ministerial regulation would include the capital.

"After the regulation takes effect, any building higher than 15 metres must have be designed to cope with possible quake impacts," Apirak said.

Voravuth urged immediate inclusion of quakeproof features in new high-rise buildings even though the regulation has yet to take effect.

The Nation