Earthquake & Thailand's Other Dangers

[johndpoole]

I just watched them build another condo near me in BKK and there really seemed to be little done in the way of preparing these buildings for any kind of natural disasters from earthquakes to tornados or hurricanes. My understanding is most of the earth here is clay and is actually sinking at a rate of about 4 inches a year in areas with some areas already below sea level. I know there is concern of flooding (not sure any action is being taken) and that there will be big problems with flooding in the coming decades.

My questions are ... what are the risks of an earthquakes in the BKK area and do tornados or hurricanes possible. I have read BKK has felt earthquakes just in the last couple years that occured in Lao and Burma but am surprised there are not hurricanes since or tornados since these both seem to occur anywhere that is prone to thunder storms or near water in the case of hurricanes. Side note ... not sure if they are called hurricanes or typhons here.

Thanks ... just curious and I guess a little concerned having lived through a number of earthquakes in California where things ARE built to withstand them.

[Moonrakers]

Is there not a fault line running directly underneath swampy airport, or did I dream that?

[johndpoole]

I have done google searches on the subjext and they say there are a couple faults around BKK but this in itself is not telling because there are MANY unknown faults. If I am not mistaking the Northridge quake in LA back in the 90's was an unknown fault and that was a horrific quake. I get a little paranoid thinking about possible quakes here when you see these high rises with so many cracks that they simply patch and paint over. Concrete is terrible in quakes unless there is a lot of rebar support but when the concrete is not made properly (you get cracks) then you can expect the building to turn to dust in a major quake.

I am just surprised the lack of solid info I can find on the internet on natural disasters and asking Thai people will get you many different answers. Then again most Thais under 40 are clueless there was a Vietnam war or for that matter a WW II. A different topic but what the hel_l do they teach these kids in school?!!?

[poldebol]

Google:

Thailand "Reservoir Induced Seismicity"

[gotlost]

There are more pressing matters to concern oneself with at the moment in Thailand than earth quakes. But FYI do earthquakes happen in Thailand? Yes. Are they destructive? No. I have been in a few hear and they would not have made a milk shake. I too have lived in California and have been in every major quake they have had up to 1992, so I know what a quake is. WE do not have hurricanes in this part of the world. Cyclones yes We only get the residual weather from those out of the Western Pacific and the Easter Andaman Sea. So enjoy your self this weekend and do not worry about 3rd world construction.

[WarpSpeed]

Actually there is no major fault lines around Bangkok or Thailand for that matter, there is the ring of fire offshore and mostly west of Burma and down through Indonesia but nothing directly related to Thailand as in the San Andreas fault for example so likely mostly minor shocks. As for hurricanes not likely too far south and the surrounding waters are protected by land and storms on the west coast mostly head west just as they do for the States coming off the west coast of Africa.. *Addendum* surrounding land masses are also mountainous elevations which tend to knock down a hurricanes strength and prevent them from coming here at any threatening strength and become mostly rain events with minor winds.

Tornadoes require a lot more then just thunderstorms to develop, convection and convergence is the biggest factor and that requires larger uninterrupted, nearly flat, land masses or ability to have strong warm updrafts into the cold stratosphere with plenty of flat or mostly flat land and that is a rare and unusual condition for this location and climate, though not to say it can't happen but it is rare and if so very unlikely to be very long or very strong..

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ypalM7eSBEQ/SdzT...ectonic_map.jpg

Flooding, that's another matter, since most of Bangkok is built on swamp land and is already low to being with....

[johndpoole]

There are more pressing matters to concern oneself with at the moment in Thailand than earth quakes. But FYI do earthquakes happen in Thailand? Yes. Are they destructive? No. I have been in a few hear and they would not have made a milk shake. I too have lived in California and have been in every major quake they have had up to 1992, so I know what a quake is. WE do not have hurricanes in this part of the world. Cyclones yes We only get the residual weather from those out of the Western Pacific and the Easter Andaman Sea. So enjoy your self this weekend and do not worry about 3rd world construction.

Appreciate the info and suggestions was just looking for some education as for worrying about this week-end ... why worry about something you cannot change and if you can change it then why worry?

But as for earthqaukes in Thailand ... there are MANY sites that dispute your claim. I am getting the feeling they are less felt here in BKK but earthquakes do happen and have been a number of plus 7 quakes on the Burma coast.

See: http://asc-india.org/menu/gquakes-map.htm or http://www.mapsofworld.com/thailand/history/earthquake.html

As for this week-end ... been here during the airport take over and last Songran so called riots. Not really much to worry about unless you are looking for trouble.

[WarpSpeed]

^But the Burma coast is many kilo's/miles away..So not a ground zero quake..Not even close..

[johndpoole]

Actually there is no major fault lines around Bangkok or Thailand for that matter, there is the ring of fire offshore and mostly west of Burma and down through Indonesia but nothing directly related to Thailand as in the San Andreas fault for example so likely mostly minor shocks. As for hurricanes not likely too far south and the surrounding waters are protected by land and storms on the west coast mostly head west just as they do for the States coming off the west coast of Africa..

Tornadoes require a lot more then just thunderstorms to develop, convection and convergence is the biggest factor and that requires larger uninterrupted, nearly flat, land masses or ability to have strong warm updrafts into the cold stratosphere with plenty of flat or mostly flat land and that is a rare and unusual condition for this location and climate, though not to say it can't happen but it is rare and if so very unlikely to be very long or very strong..

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ypalM7eSBEQ/SdzT...ectonic_map.jpg

Flooding, that's another matter, since most of Bangkok is built on swamp land and is already low to being with....

Very cool and makes sense (to me) except for the tornado part. I lived in NC and we would get them but nothing like the mid west and this area of BKK seems extremely flat compared to NC where I lived (Winston-Salem area). So, I am guessing it has to do with the way the air mass moves here as you mentioned about convergence & convection. As for the earthquakes what had me confused is how they seem to happen all around Thailand but not actually in Thailand in terms of epicenter. One thing I do love here is how the winds kick of before a storm but that also made me wonder about Tornados because when that would happen in NC that was usually when they issued the Tornado warnings but there also usually be some hail which I have yet to experience here but have been told it does happen. Thanks Again.

[WarpSpeed]

^There is always micro-bursts before a serious storm, that is the down draft caused by the falling cold rain coupled with the air, what is dissimilar between NC and here is the masses of flat land west of NC versus here, it takes many sq miles of flattish land to build such storms and that doesn't exist here.. Thailand is mostly a peninsula of narrow land south and it also has mountains on it's west coast and on the wider north which tends to disrupt the air flow required for those types of storms..

*addendum* The cooler air flowing from the mountains in the west in the States combined with the warm moist air up from the gulf is what causes the extreme tornadoes there and that is why places like Florida only have moderate storms but Florida is flat and has the gulf on it's west coast and cooler Atlantic on the east which creates the same convergence/convection conditions but with less serious tornadoes where here the Andaman is not as warm as the gulf nor and the land not as flat with cross Continental air flow.

Here if the tornadoes were to develop it is more likely they would develop east of here if at all..

[johndpoole]

^But the Burma coast is many kilo's/miles away..So not a ground zero quake..Not even close..

Thanks. I think I am catching on now as to the why but just was surprising to me how the land border seemed to be the defining line for earthquakes. As we know they can happen anywhere (was in Vermont & NC when they both had one but barely noticed. But when you look at Calif. the states more eastern also get earthquakes but not as often but it is not like some imaginary border stops them were you can have 7 point earth quakes every decade and then a few kilometers east virtually have none.

Bottom line, appreciate not having this on my mind every time I see them building these high rises. My guess is they will probably be a kilometer buried from the sinking before any fluke quake hits.

[WarpSpeed]

No doubt with the construction practices here it is always a concern and not being naive nor complacent I have taught my boys the best plan of action should it happen, but I'm hoping for the best and preparing for the worst as much as possible..

[slapout]

The invasion has begun, --- or someone help us all.

[canuckamuck]

I understood that there is a fairly major fault in the Kanchanaburi area. But I can't remember where I got that info from. There is also quite lot of geothermal action beneath Thailand, as is demonstrated by the numerous hot springs, and as I am told, the very high temperatures of the oil deposits.

[johndpoole]

No doubt with the construction practices here it is always a concern and not being naive nor complacent I have taught my boys the best plan of action should it happen, but I'm hoping for the best and preparing for the worst as much as possible..

I am with you there on preparing and having a plan "just in case"

[sanook2me]

I was woken up a few years ago with my bed shaking late at night !!

I was sleeping alone and when i woke up i was paralysed as in scared sh1tless and i couldn't move my body as the hole building was swaying... when i realised what

was happening i jumped out of bed got dressed and looked out me window and loads of Thais were streaming out the condo in their jim jams...

I've never moved so f_cking fast...

yes, it was a tremor that violently shook the condo about in Bangkok and did some structural damage to other buildings this was in soi 24 Phayon Yothin... !

Its only a matter of time before one hits big time.... now i live on an even higher floor ! stupid me..!

Anyway look around Bkk and if there is an earth quake strong enough to knock buildings down and road pillars for motorways etc...there is no open ground to run too.... alot of peeps will die!

Good news i ate some wicked spicy som tam khor mu yang earlier so i am feeling satisfied and so bring it on...i'll be snoozing on me bed

[manarak]

there are LOTS, LOADS, HEAPS of info available on the web.

you might especially be interested in this study:

http://www.geo.sc.chula.ac.th/Geology/Thai...008/PDF/119.pdf

It appears that central region including Bangkok and eastern seaboard are quite safe from earthquakes. But one can never completely exclude the murphy's law bad luck case...

Here is a nice map of known faults in Thailand:

http://www.dmr.go.th/images/activefault_thailand_eng2.jpg