Earthquake Rocks Bangkok: Building Collapses with 40 people inside

[Rolo89]

5 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

 

They are designed to not collapse,  how did BKK fail ?

 

 

They are designed to not be condemed unsafe to live in after an earthquake. Buildings still standing but you can't live in are hardly a sucess story 🤣

[Ralf001]

Just now, Rolo89 said:

They are designed to not be condemed unsafe to live in after an earthquake. 

 

Utter bull<deleted>.

[madone]

54 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

The facebook post just said Silom

looks very much like state tower.

[MikeandDow]

I wonder who is going to pay for all this ?? Doubt insurance will cover force majeure

[Hawaiian]

On 3/28/2025 at 4:36 PM, Baba Naba said:

I live in Chiang Mai, Thailand which was 600 miles from the epicenter. Bangkok was 870 miles away. My house shook violently and swayed dramatically as my car rocked back and forth in the carport. After going through many tremors and quakes on the Adak, Alaska in the Aleutian chain where our island was surrounded by 3 active volcanos, this one actually scared me. I knew it had to have been at least a 7. Luckily nothing cracked and the house held up well although my pool looked like an angry sea! 😱

During my lifetime I've experienced a number of big earthquakes on the island of Hawaii.

The scariest was a 7.7 that generated a local tsunami close to 50 feet high.  Luckily only 2 fatalities from the tsunami.  The seashore close to the epicenter subsided 12 feet.  Years later I went fishing in the area where former cliffs were now at sea level.

[Rolo89]

These condos were sold as being up to Japanese standards. I've experinced similar earthquakes there and there was no where near this obvious damage to load bearing structures.

 

 

[Ralf001]

Just now, Rolo89 said:

These condos were sold as being up to Japanese standards.

 

Which ones ?

[Rolo89]

3 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

I wonder who is going to pay for all this ?? Doubt insurance will cover force majeure

I think lots are dreaming that insurance and or building companies will cover it.

 

Even if for 99% of cases it's just surface level stuff like plaster and tiles that need replacing it's going to cost a fortune and take a long time to get the manpower to do it.

 

Companies will be running off with their profits and leaving people with expensive bills. 

[newnative]

On 3/29/2025 at 12:02 PM, richard_smith237 said:

 

No, there isn’t - there is no evidence (as yet) of catastrophic damage, only images of the predictable: superficial harm. Dislodged tiles, cosmetic cracks in non-structural walls, and fractured cladding. Hardly the architectural apocalypse some would like to imagine.

 

Simple explanation since the concept seems elusive to you. Think of it like a minor car accident: shattered headlights, a dented bumper, some scraped panels. The car still drives because the frame - the actual structure - remains intact. This is the essence of superficial damage, it looks bad.

 

These buildings did precisely what they were engineered to do. They flexed, they swayed, they absorbed the shock - all by deliberate design.

 

Without such ductility, rigidity would be their undoing. They would crack, snap, and fail.

 

Architects and engineers understand this intimately; it is Seismic Design 101. But perhaps this is news to you.

 

The earth itself is not static. It is plastic, dynamic, and unruly. Bangkok sits atop an ancient lakebed - a soft, sedimentary basin - a fact so elementary that it is cited in every relevant textbook. Seismologists even have a name for the phenomenon: the Mexico City Effect, after the devastation in 1985. Bangkok is practically the textbook case today.

 

Japan, by contrast, dances to a different geological tune. Major fault boundaries, higher-energy quakes, and vastly different soil mechanics.

 

Japanese buildings are crafted for that reality, just as Bangkok’s buildings are tailored to their own. Consider Taipei 101 and its colossal tuned mass damper - the swinging ball - engineered to mitigate sway in tall buildings, not because the structure is flawed, but because height amplifies movement.

 

Combine all of the above knowledge and we soon see a picture that your musings are nothing more than that if an ill-informed, uneducated fool less mentally prepared for such a discussion than the most mediocre of laymen - like a trainee bricky mixing cement but attempting to advise on the structural complexities of Seismic Isolation Bearings.

 

In fact you've avoided any sensible discussion on the subject instead nudging bigotry to the fray and in doing so highliting your own fundamental intellectual flaws - a perfect example of a famous quote: "Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt"

 

 

 

 

 

 

     We are in Pattaya now but an engineer at our Bangkok condo went into our condo and took some photos of our damage and sent them to us.  As you said, just 'superficial harm'.  There were a couple of small, vertical cracks by the bedroom window and that was all he found.   The room is wallpapered and the cracks messed up the wallpaper a bit so that area will likely need to be re-wallpapered after the cracks are repaired.  We thought it would be a lot worse.  

[josephbloggs]

16 minutes ago, Rolo89 said:

They are designed to not be condemed unsafe to live in after an earthquake. Buildings still standing but you can't live in are hardly a sucess story 🤣

The latest update of seismic protection code (DPT1301/1302-61) for buildings was brought in in 2021 and is tighter than the previous one of 2009 (DPT1302-52)

 

DPT1301/1302-61-compliant buildings are designed "to ensure life safety and immediate occupancy after moderate earthquakes. While minor damage (cracks, localized yielding) is expected, catastrophic failure is mitigated through ductile detailing and rigorous base shear requirements."

Did any built after 2021 collapse or have they been condemned?

[SAFETY FIRST]

This is so sad, I'd say there are quite a few buildings with extreme damage. 

 

Looks like doors unable to lock, building has been smashed to pieces 

[richard_smith237]

23 minutes ago, newnative said:

     We are in Pattaya now but an engineer at our Bangkok condo went into our condo and took some photos of our damage and sent them to us.  As you said, just 'superficial harm'.  There were a couple of small, vertical cracks by the bedroom window and that was all he found.   The room is wallpapered and the cracks messed up the wallpaper a bit so that area will likely need to be re-wallpapered after the cracks are repaired.  We thought it would be a lot worse.  

 

That must have been a relief...   some of the photos doing the rounds show structural damage. 

I'm not sure how they can retroactively repair such damage or if the building has to be condemned. 

 

Most of the photos I have seen are of superficial damage of non-load bearing walls, it looks horrific,  as per the video above (from Safety First) - I don't think any of that damage is structural and can be repaired, though the costs of repair will be devastating for many.

[MikeandDow]

14 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

The latest update of seismic protection code (DPT1301/1302-61) for buildings was brought in in 2021 and is tighter than the previous one of 2009 (DPT1302-52)

 

DPT1301/1302-61-compliant buildings are designed "to ensure life safety and immediate occupancy after moderate earthquakes. While minor damage (cracks, localized yielding) is expected, catastrophic failure is mitigated through ductile detailing and rigorous base shear requirements."

Did any built after 2021 collapse or have they been condemned?

Thailand has a plethora of building code, safety  protocols, quality standards  are they implemented NO !! are they policed NO !!   you can get ANY approval you like !! the almight baht is king !!  the question you should be asking DID they police the codes and standards ? was they 3rd body inspections done ?  Did the materials meet the required standards  ect ??

[Rolo89]

37 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Did any built after 2021 collapse or have they been condemned?

Skyrise Avenue Sukhumvit 64 is one that already has been said is unsafe to inhabit. It was only finished a few months ago.

[MikeandDow]

16 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

That must have been a relief...   some of the photos doing the rounds show structural damage. 

I'm not sure how they can retroactively repair such damage or if the building has to be condemned. 

 

Most of the photos I have seen are of superficial damage of non-load bearing walls, it looks horrific,  as per the video above (from Safety First) - I don't think any of that damage is structural and can be repaired, though the costs of repair will be devastating for many.

This begs the question  who is doing the assements !!    3rd party inspection complying with the ISO 17020 standards. likes of Bureau Veritas hopefully not a backyard builder

[Rolo89]

38 minutes ago, newnative said:

     We are in Pattaya now but an engineer at our Bangkok condo went into our condo and took some photos of our damage and sent them to us.  As you said, just 'superficial harm'.  There were a couple of small, vertical cracks by the bedroom window and that was all he found.   The room is wallpapered and the cracks messed up the wallpaper a bit so that area will likely need to be re-wallpapered after the cracks are repaired.  We thought it would be a lot worse.  

The damage you need to know about is the structural stuff. An expert would take at least a week with proper tools to know if there's any damage to be concerned about.

[Rolo89]

13 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

Thailand has a plethora of building code, safety  protocols, quality standards  are they implemented NO !! are they policed NO !!   you can get ANY approval you like !! the almight baht is king !!  the question you should be asking DID they police the codes and standards ? was they 3rd body inspections done ?  Did the materials meet the required standards  ect ??

Quite. Any engineer already saying it's all safe can't be trusted at all. 

 

A trustworthy one would at best say a visual inspection indicates no serious damage, but a further detailed assessment is needed to verify. 

[Ralf001]

4 minutes ago, Rolo89 said:

Skyrise Avenue Sukhumvit 64 is one that already has been said is unsafe to inhabit. It was only finnished a few months ago.

Planning approval and start of construction before or after the seismic protection code introduced in late 2021 ?

 

[MikeandDow]

14 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Planning approval and start of construction before or after the seismic protection code introduced in late 2021 ?

 

That  would mean nothing the main question is were the relvent building codes Policed during contsruction if so there would be reports  if not why not

[Rolo89]

19 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Planning approval and start of construction before or after the seismic protection code introduced in late 2021 ?

 

5 seperate buildings and some of them were started after then. 

 

With how long it takes to get these high rises build how many out of the thousands are supposted to adhere to the seismic protection code introduced in late 2021? 1%?

 

and of the small amount that are supposed to adhere to the code how many actually do 25%?

 

So maybe 0.25% of high rises in BKK meet seismic requirements.

[Ralf001]

1 minute ago, Rolo89 said:

5 seperate buildings and some of them were started after then. 

 

With how long it takes to get these high rises build how many out of the thousands are supposted to adhere to the seismic protection code introduced in late 2021? 1%?

 

and of the small amount that are supposed to adhere to the code how many actually do 25%?

 

So maybe 0.25% of high rises in BKK meet seismic requirements.

 

When was planning approval given... before or after late 2021 ?

 

who's anoos did you pull the 25%  number from, Yours ?

 

 

[MikeandDow]

6 minutes ago, Rolo89 said:

5 seperate buildings and some of them were started after then. 

 

With how long it takes to get these high rises build how many out of the thousands are supposted to adhere to the seismic protection code introduced in late 2021? 1%?

Its not if the design had seismic protection or not it is HOW was it built where there 3rd pary inspections of the constuction  if not who was policing the construction.

Design aproval is just a small part of Projects

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, MikeandDow said:

Thailand has a plethora of building code, safety  protocols, quality standards  are they implemented NO !! are they policed NO !!   you can get ANY approval you like !! the almight baht is king !!  the question you should be asking DID they police the codes and standards ? was they 3rd body inspections done ?  Did the materials meet the required standards  ect ??

Did any buildings collapse? How did those built after 2021 fare?

Any sensible insights or just more shouting and ranting?

[SAFETY FIRST]

Chinese construction firm "China Railway" proudly advertised their motto as “We build the strong building"

Structure: A "Strong core + beamless floor" (板+ 心), claiming enhanced strength and earthquake resistance.

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1A4UZaXfZd/

 

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, Rolo89 said:

Skyrise Avenue Sukhumvit 64 is one that already has been said is unsafe to inhabit. It was only finished a few months ago.

I can't find anything about this online. Do you have a link please? Where did you get this information? Not saying it isn't true but would like to see your source.

[MikeandDow]

5 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Did any buildings collapse? How did those built after 2021 fare?

Any sensible insights or just more shouting and ranting?

Read the news,  you can see that there was a lot of strucural damage a lot mor to be assest

[josephbloggs]

2 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

Read the news,  you can see that there was a lot of strucural damage a lot mor to be assest

So no then, as expected.

Just rant, shout and Thai bash - your modus operandi.

[lordgrinz]

So, the BBC says this was a "flat slab" design, "which is no longer recommended in earthquake-prone areas". Pretty close to the same idea for the World Trade center buildings, to maximize open floor space by removing inner support beams. 

[MikeandDow]

1 minute ago, josephbloggs said:

So no then, as expected.

Just rant, shout and Thai bash - your modus operandi.

how is my post thai bashing,  telling you to read the news, sorry if you are dislextic you need to medicate

[MikeandDow]

7 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

So, the BBC says this was a "flat slab" design, "which is no longer recommended in earthquake-prone areas". Pretty close to the same idea for the World Trade center buildings, to maximize open floor space by removing inner support beams. 

Yes read the same,  guess the guy who approved the design should be a bit worried !!