Earthquake Shakes Large Parts of Thailand

[thecolonel]

The quake was in Myanmar not Bangkok. It was certainly felt in Bkk as with Hua Hin. I thought the heading simply Earthquake was more appropriate

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[PeteC]

^ Not really. All I see on that one is the top of the building, and umbrellas on the street.

[kwajdiver]

Nothing here is built to withstand a 7.4 quake without some damage. They'll have to check all buildings, bridges and elevated expressways in the days ahead.

Stay away from Rama II........

[Big Boy]

^ Not really. All I see on that one is the top of the building, and umbrellas on the street.

Press play, and scroll up the page.

[PeteC]

There will be after-shocks for several days, some 3.0 to 5.0 possibly.

[PeteC]

Khaosod English

UPDATE: 67 people are unaccounted for after the Ombudsman building in Bangkok's Bang Sue area, which is under construction, collapsed. Only 7 have managed to flee after a 8.2 magnitude earthquake occurred in Myanmar Friday afternoon, some 326 kilometres from Thailand.

Magnitude keeps going up, and epicenter changing.

[thecolonel]

Some dramatic footage

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[Big Boy]

Watching 7 News - loads mote video footage of damage coming in now.

[caller]

Stay away from Rama II........

I was just thinking that. I drove back from Bkk on Tuesday and I was quite surprised to see how much flimsy temp. scaffolding had been put up at the ends of the spars with nothing to protect cars underneath if even a strong wind blew these things down. There were a couple of areas, where traffic came to a halt, and I noticed drivers were leaving a gap between the vehicles in front and themselves, rather than be sat directly under protuding construction work. I did the same!

[Big Boy]

A few similar constructions in the Chiang Mai area have come a cropper.

[caller]

Just a general catch up from one hour ago, by the Thai Enquirer. Rama2 only feautures twice.

Apart from the collapsed building under construction in Bangkok's Chatuchak area caused by tremors from a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, the Public Relations Department reports a crane collapse in Din Daeng. Other disruptions and damages in the capital and surrounding areas include:
- All Skytrain services are suspended.
- The Stock Exchange of Thailand has halted trading.
- The Din Daeng exit ramp is closed due to the crane collapse.
- Patients have been moved to lower floors at Phra Mongkutklao Hospital.
- Patients have been moved to lower floors at Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital.
- A crane collapsed at Bang Pho intersection, trapping people inside.
- A large sinkhole has formed on Rama 2 Road.
- Debris from construction on an elevated highway fell onto Rama 2 Road.
#Thailand #Bangkok #แผ่นดินไหว #Earthquakes #Tremors #ตึกถล่ม

[caller]

Tried to post a link, but it says it's now been removed, or not allowed for sharing, so here is the copied article from the Thai Enquirer. Could be a scandal in the making. The initial twisting movement as the collapse started seems quite odd.

Reports of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district following earthquakes in Myanmar are trending in China after initial reports suggested that the new State Audit Office project was overseen by a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development and China Railway No. 10 (Thailand).
So far, three workers have been confirmed dead, while more than 80 remain missing and are feared trapped in the rubble. Rescue operations are ongoing.
The State Audit Office signed a construction contract on November 23, 2020, with the ITD-CRCC joint venture for the 33-story main building and related facilities, valued at 2.14 billion baht.
Another contract, signed on January 14, 2021, awarded 74.65 million baht to the PKW joint venture (PN Synchronize, W. and Associates Group, and KP Consultants & Management) for project supervision. The construction timeline has been extended from fiscal years 2020 to 2026.
A widely shared report in China stated that the collapsed building was designed with a core tube and flat slab system. The core was constructed using slipform casting, while the flat slabs were installed using a lifting method. The external structure used a climbing formwork system to ensure concrete quality for the high-rise.
Online discussions include comments such as:
“As seen in the second image, this building uses a ‘flat slab’ system, meaning it has no beams and relies only on columns for support. This reduces its earthquake resistance compared to traditional frame structures, making the design a major factor in any collapse.”
“The bridge that collapsed in Myanmar was also built by China.”
Others shared images of the building with a Chinese caption reading, “Made in China.”
[Update] The Department of Business Development's data indicates that the joint venture operates in a business category not listed under the Foreign Business Act, meaning foreign nationals can run the business without a license. However, it is required to submit financial statements under the Accounting Act.
Financial data for 2023 shows total assets of 1.36 billion baht and total liabilities of 3.11 billion baht.
In 2023, the joint venture’s primary revenue was 87.28 million baht, with total revenue of 105.45 million baht. It reported a gross profit of 17.52 million baht, while selling and administrative expenses totaled 35.04 million baht. Total expenses amounted to 1.86 billion baht, resulting in a net loss of 1.75 billion baht. No corporate income tax was reported.
#Thailand #China #Myanmar #Bangkok #แผ่นดินไหว #Earthquakes

[pharvey]

Hints of corruption where there's Chinese and Italian involvement in Thai construction? Surely not....

That said, "reports" state... The design "reduces its earthquake resistance compared to traditional frame structures, making the design a major factor in any collapse.” - my understanding is that the building regulations in Bangkok/Thailand as a whole are not particularly strict with regards to "Earthquake Resistance".

There is of course the concern that anti-corruption laws may have been broken, but have actual construction laws been broken?

This obviously does not detract from the tragic (and seemingly avoidable) loss of life.

Videos and pictures have been all over the UK news today and some major damage to infrastructure and buildings apparent over a wide area.

When the 'quake hit Chengdu/Sichuan in 2008, it was absolutely devastating at a magnitude of 8+. The worrying thing for Myanmar is that very large aftershocks were felt even months afterwards. We certainly suffered damage in Chongqing (city) at the time.

[caller]

I think, but stand to be corrected, that ITD is wholly Thai now. They are also one of the 2 contractors working, guess where? On Rama2, and have been fined 16m Baht and suspended for their part in the latest mishap resulting in several deaths. They also stood down from a major contract in Bkk recently, and were involved with the building of the high speed railway that recently saw it's completion date put back for a further 12 months. Work stopped just before it reached the centre of Korat.

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/bus ... e_vignette

[PeteC]

Khaosod English

Another construction site in Bangkok reported a fatality during the tremors from the Myanmar-centered earthquake on March 28. The victim was a Myanmar worker, Mr. Naing Soe Oo, who was crushed by a concrete slab measuring 4 by 1.85 meters at a construction project in Soi Ram Intra 64.

Police from Bang Chan Police Station notified rescue workers to transport the body to forensic doctors at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Police General Hospital, for autopsy procedures.