Chiang Mai Governor Downplays Earthquake Risk

[george]

Chiang Mai governor downplays earthquake risk

CHIANG MAI: -- Chiang Mai Governor Suwat Tantiphat today downplayed last week’s warning from the Department of Mineral Resources that 16 districts in the northern province were in an earthquake risk zone, describing the report as ‘just scientific data’.

Mr. Suwat said that the warning, which also noted that 10 districts were at risk of land subsidence, was intended to ensure that officials and the public were prepared for any contingency, but did not mean that there was any immediate threat.

On 5 March the province will conduct an earthquake drill for people living and working in tall buildings.

--TNA 2005-02-28

[john b good]

Chiang Mai governor downplays earthquake risk

CHIANG MAI: --  Chiang Mai Governor Suwat Tantiphat today downplayed last week’s warning from the Department of Mineral Resources that 16 districts in the northern province were in an earthquake risk zone, describing the report as ‘just scientific data’.

Mr. Suwat said that the warning, which also noted that 10 districts were at risk of land subsidence, was intended to ensure that officials and the public were prepared for any contingency, but did not mean that there was any immediate threat.

On 5 March the province will conduct an earthquake drill for people living and working in tall buildings.

--TNA 2005-02-28

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

‘just scientific data’. Well I guess that Khun Suwat still thinks the world is flat. Leastaways it must only be ‘just scientific data’.

How do these people get these jobs???

[Ajarn]

Chiang Mai governor downplays earthquake risk

CHIANG MAI: --  Chiang Mai Governor Suwat Tantiphat today downplayed last week’s warning from the Department of Mineral Resources that 16 districts in the northern province were in an earthquake risk zone, describing the report as ‘just scientific data’.

Mr. Suwat said that the warning, which also noted that 10 districts were at risk of land subsidence, was intended to ensure that officials and the public were prepared for any contingency, but did not mean that there was any immediate threat.

On 5 March the province will conduct an earthquake drill for people living and working in tall buildings.

--TNA 2005-02-28

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

‘just scientific data’. Well I guess that Khun Suwat still thinks the world is flat. Leastaways it must only be ‘just scientific data’.

How do these people get these jobs???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wonder if there's been enough recorded earthquake history here to predict an earthquake season probability, and this is the data being referred to, and the subsequent 'warning'. In San Francisco, I've seen reports that the Spring and Fall months have the highest probability for earthquakes...

Seems like I remember at least a couple of March/April quakes here just in the last few years??

Wonder how this "earthquake drill for people living and working in tall buildings" is going to come off in 5 days? Lots of tall buildings, in this Province, and lots of persons living/working in them . My friends in Hillside 4 said they don't know anything about it...

An official warning, followed by a wimpy, whiny, baseless denial, but yet a Province-wide Disaster Drill is immediately organized a few days later...

Glad I live away from tall buildings here.

[ovenman]

‘just scientific data’. Well I guess that Khun Suwat still thinks the world is flat. Leastaways it must only be ‘just scientific data’.

How do these people get these jobs??? 

Friends of Mr. Big... Actually this "just scientific data" statement sounds like it could have come right from the mouth of the Big guy himself.

[p1p]

"Don't believe them - They're just scientists."

"Might hurt the tourist trade."

Familiar?

[chanchao]

> Actually this "just scientific data" statement sounds like

Likely the original statement wasn't in English.. so before you all roll on the floor laughing (or crying as it may be), the actual statement in Thai may not have had the belittling connotation that you get from the English translation.

And, really, does anyone here think that a major earthquake is likely for the Chiang Mai valley area? That would be a first then.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[AndyW]

> Actually this "just scientific data" statement sounds like

Likely the original statement wasn't in English.. so before you all roll on the floor laughing (or crying as it may be), the actual statement in Thai may not have had the belittling connotation that you get from the English translation.

And, really, does anyone here think that a major earthquake is likely for the Chiang Mai valley area?  That would be a first then.

Cheers,

Chanchao

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wat Chedi Luang was destroyed by an earthquake in 16th century....

[boxig]

I remember few earthquakes in Chiang Mai town in the past years and were prety strong. It is a well known fact the the area is located in a dangerous zone. The good news is that most of the buildings are one or two floors.

[Ajarn]

Did anyone think the SF earthguake in 1906 was likely? Or the Alaska Quake in 1964? Or the Quake that caused the recent Tsunami?

Shit happens, plain and simple. It is as likely to happen here as many other places, possibly even more so. Look at some maps to see a major fault running N/S not far to the East of us, The Indian Plate from the S/W, and which is moving N/E, The Java Trench and the volcanic activity line that stretches to an area N/W of us, the double fault off Sumatra, and, look locally, where the Lampang plateau is slightly lower than the Chiang Mai plateau, which is slightly lower than the Chiangrai 'plateau', and continues as you move north...And the mountains? We all know how they form from Elementary school Geology. All this stuff is moving around, all at odds to each other.

Don't build that undeground shelter quite yet, perhaps, but don't pooh-pooh the possibilty of a damaging quake here, either. TiT, na'?

[chanchao]

> Wat Chedi Luang was destroyed by an earthquake in 16th century..

That's what all shoddy construction companies say who are cutting corners to save a buck. (And I thought it was a lightning strike, or? )

Cheers,

Chanchao

[maxisrael]

> Wat Chedi Luang was destroyed by an earthquake in 16th century..

That's what all shoddy construction companies say who are cutting corners to save a buck.     (And I thought it was a lightning strike, or? )

Cheers,

Chanchao

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why worry all tall buildings here are strong and solid can easely stand a quake of .5 on the richter scale

[Ajarn]

> Wat Chedi Luang was destroyed by an earthquake in 16th century..

That's what all shoddy construction companies say who are cutting corners to save a buck.     (And I thought it was a lightning strike, or? )

Cheers,

Chanchao

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why worry all tall buildings here are strong and solid can easely stand a quake of .5 on the richter scale

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, .5 is about right

[SiamJai]

"If you are afraid of falling trees, don't live in the woods."

[rebo]

Caused by village rumors my wife recently brought home about a famous moo duh just having predicted a major earthquake for CNX within the next 2 years I googled (simply out of curiosity) for “earthquake risk map Thailand” and similar queries without any satisfying result (but found this old thread).

Any advise where to find serious scientific information about this?

Thanks in advance,

rebo

[SomNamNah]

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recent...region/Asia.php

and

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900S...35?OpenDocument

after a few mins in google. good luck.

What interest me are the earthquake clouds...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_cloud

[rebo]

This is what I looked for, SNN.

Guess you used the smarter search keys ... And of course, I failed to ask Wikipedia.

The earthquake clouds issue is really interesting, will have a deeper look at this.

Thanks a lot,

rebo

[SomNamNah]

I had a dream the night of the Kobe earthquake, (or a chinese one) before it happened.. about a huge earthquake in asia ... very scary dream. I was in England.

i dont think im psychic, i think the tremors & maybe magnetic waves may have been felt in my sleep at some unconscious level, but as for 2 years ahead? hmm..

will post if i have another dream - lol!

[rebo]

Believe it or not: When my wife woke up in the morning of Dec 26th, 2004 she told me she dreamt about some serious flooding, sunny sky, crystal clear waters, many many people died.

In the afternoon we heard the news about the tsunami the first time.

Really true!

brgds

rebo

[chiangmaibruce]

yes, interesting. Quite some time back i was talking to a local architect (married to a good friend of my wife). I was saying that my post-lotto wish-list included a goodly-sized condo in Rim Ping or Flora. His first comment (which surprised me) was that he would be worried about an earthquake. I had not even considered that aspect until he said that. If Rim Ping was built on silt (which liquifies in a quake) ... with whatever they passed for foundations and/or piles ... he might be onto something there.

[Sojourner]

yes, interesting. Quite some time back i was talking to a local architect (married to a good friend of my wife). I was saying that my post-lotto wish-list included a goodly-sized condo in Rim Ping or Flora. His first comment (which surprised me) was that he would be worried about an earthquake. I had not even considered that aspect until he said that. If Rim Ping was built on silt (which liquifies in a quake) ... with whatever they passed for foundations and/or piles ... he might be onto something there.

The Rimping Condominium was build to seismic 2 standards. I've been through at least three earthquakes since living here and the building always came through it without a problem.

[SamSipEt]

yes, interesting. Quite some time back i was talking to a local architect (married to a good friend of my wife). I was saying that my post-lotto wish-list included a goodly-sized condo in Rim Ping or Flora. His first comment (which surprised me) was that he would be worried about an earthquake. I had not even considered that aspect until he said that. If Rim Ping was built on silt (which liquifies in a quake) ... with whatever they passed for foundations and/or piles ... he might be onto something there.

The Rimping Condominium was build to seismic 2 standards. I've been through at least three earthquakes since living here and the building always came through it without a problem.

I was asleep in the Rimping when the earthquake struck 26-12-2004 it woke us up with the building swaying about a bit. No damage whatsoever to my knowledge - if it didn't sway it would probably have snapped.

[chiangmaibruce]

OK, it's back on my wish-list.

save me a spot

- CB

[sassienie]

There is a multitude of reasons why I wouldn’t purchase a lease to live in a Condo at Chaing Mai and Earthquakes is right on top of my list.

[jackr]

Did anyone think the SF earthguake in 1906 was likely? Or the Alaska Quake in 1964? Or the Quake that caused the recent Tsunami?

Shit happens, plain and simple. It is as likely to happen here as many other places, possibly even more so. Look at some maps to see a major fault running N/S not far to the East of us, The Indian Plate from the S/W, and which is moving N/E, The Java Trench and the volcanic activity line that stretches to an area N/W of us, the double fault off Sumatra, and, look locally, where the Lampang plateau is slightly lower than the Chiang Mai plateau, which is slightly lower than the Chiangrai 'plateau', and continues as you move north...And the mountains? We all know how they form from Elementary school Geology. All this stuff is moving around, all at odds to each other.

Yep, and they'll continue to be likely, but comparing apples n oranges there ole mate. By the very nature of the plates under California, for example, with all that sticking and slipping going on, there will always be vast amounts more pent-up energy being released along the San Andreas Fault than anything within reach of us in our time; although that's not to say we're completely immune bar the odd rumble in the jungle. San Fran will be messed up in a big way before long, although long before LA overtakes gay central on its incessant drive north, Yellowstone would have blown his top taking out the entire region and La Palma would have shat half its load into the Atlantic, engulfing the east coast with one mother of a tsunami, meaning the US will be knackered on all fronts. I'm fairly confident, however, that we'll be completely focked before this time through our own stupidity and/or at the hands of one mother of a big-assed virus... rogue asteroids/comets notwithstanding.

Happy Christmas

[canuckamuck]

Did anyone think the SF earthguake in 1906 was likely? Or the Alaska Quake in 1964? Or the Quake that caused the recent Tsunami?

Shit happens, plain and simple. It is as likely to happen here as many other places, possibly even more so. Look at some maps to see a major fault running N/S not far to the East of us, The Indian Plate from the S/W, and which is moving N/E, The Java Trench and the volcanic activity line that stretches to an area N/W of us, the double fault off Sumatra, and, look locally, where the Lampang plateau is slightly lower than the Chiang Mai plateau, which is slightly lower than the Chiangrai 'plateau', and continues as you move north...And the mountains? We all know how they form from Elementary school Geology. All this stuff is moving around, all at odds to each other.

Yep, and they'll continue to be likely, but comparing apples n oranges there ole mate. By the very nature of the plates under California, for example, with all that sticking and slipping going on, there will always be vast amounts more pent-up energy being released along the San Andreas Fault than anything within reach of us in our time; although that's not to say we're completely immune bar the odd rumble in the jungle. San Fran will be messed up in a big way before long, although long before LA overtakes gay central on its incessant drive north, Yellowstone would have blown his top taking out the entire region and La Palma would have shat half its load into the Atlantic, engulfing the east coast with one mother of a tsunami, meaning the US will be knackered on all fronts. I'm fairly confident, however, that we'll be completely focked before this time through our own stupidity and/or at the hands of one mother of a big-assed virus... rogue asteroids/comets notwithstanding.

Happy Christmas

You forgot about asteroids and war

[jackr]

I'm fairly confident, however, that we'll be completely focked before this time through our own stupidity and/or at the hands of one mother of a big-assed virus... rogue asteroids/comets notwithstanding.

Happy Christmas

You forgot about asteroids and war

Down the bottom. War comes in with 'our own stupidity'

[Ricardo]

I'm fairly confident, however, that we'll be completely focked before this time through our own stupidity and/or at the hands of one mother of a big-assed virus... rogue asteroids/comets notwithstanding.

Happy Christmas

You forgot about asteroids and war

Personally I expect Chiang Mai to be demolished by a giant T-Rex-style dinosaur, as I saw a 2-hour Japanese-language documentary-film on this, recently. My sons had the DVD from the night-bazaar. But I might have had a bit to drink.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

I did a class with some geology students a few years ago and they said that there was a low possibility of a severe earthquake in Chiang Mai as they weren't the right type of plates - they did say that the posibility existed in Lamphun or Lampang (Can't remember which).

[SomNamNah]

I dont buy it Dan Sai, that one 1.5 years ago here was a whopper! Made me whoosy for a whole day!

This article today echoes a thought i had when replying to this post last week:

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/38862

As ice melts, Antarctic bedrock is on the move

will push the Antarctic plate into Ozzy/Indo plate and up the java trench... arrgghhh we are all dooomed!

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Looks like I am nice and safe in Aberdeen...

and bored to &lt;deleted&gt; death...