Four Thai government buildings closed after earthquake damage
The use of four governmental buildings has been suspended due to dangerous cracks found, following the earthquake that sent tremors through Thailand last week, awaiting expert engineering inspection and repair before reopening.
Yesterday, March 31, Pongnara Yenying, Director General of the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning, provided updates on the inspection of buildings impacted by the earthquake. Four government buildings have been temporarily closed due to safety concerns.
Pongnara explained that the inspection of damaged buildings, following the earthquake on March 28, categorised them into public, private, and governmental structures such as hospitals, government offices, and various schools.
The Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning collaborated with the Council of Engineers, Association of Building Inspectors, Engineering Institute of Thailand, and over 100 volunteer engineers from the private sector.
Within three days of the inspection, 80 government agencies, comprising over 200 buildings, were examined. Four buildings with significant issues were identified: the Thosamintra Thiraj Building, the Rajavithi Hospital, which showed cracks reaching the steel reinforcements; the Lerdsin Hospital, with problems at the connecting area between two buildings; the Revenue Department Building, with hazardous cracks; and the Immigration Bureau Building in Mueang Thong Thani.
An order was issued to halt the use of these buildings, allowing specialised engineers to conduct thorough inspections and necessary repairs before permitting re-entry. For private structures such as condominiums, hotels, department stores, and dormitories, the law mandates annual inspections.
Following the earthquake, an order was issued for Bangkok to instruct building owners to re-evaluate their properties. Non-compliance with this order could result in legal consequences, reported KhaoSod.
For smaller structures like residences, complaints are managed through the Traffy Fondue platform. In other provinces, the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning acts as the complaint hub, with provincial teams responsible for inspections. To date, 31 provinces have been surveyed, covering over 190 buildings.
Latest Thailand News
