Earthquakes In Bangkok ?

[aneliane]

Hello all,

I have been for 3 months in my condo and every now and then I get shaken, like some mini earthquakes.

It usually happen in the evening I am in bed everything is quiet, and the bed start moving back and forth quite like earthquakes (I had experienced before in Taiwan).

I started researching on the subject : Is Bangkok / Nonthaburi / Pakkred an earthquake zone? I found nothing, or I found posts saying that the Bangkok area was not prone to earthquakes.

It is happening more and more often and this week, my corridor outside my flat displayed big cracks on wall, going from floor to ceiling, on at least 5 different places, plus some other at different floors.

The condo I think would be too "customer orientated" to admit that the place is definately shaking and thai workers had been promptly sent to cover the cracks. Also my thai being very basic, it is very difficult for me to A) talk about earthquake with the condo rep, and b/ Get beyond the corporate / reassuring answer she is bound to give me, to avoid to scare me.

Any idea of what's happening ???

Do any of you experience similar events? Or is my condo misplaced and built on some dodgy ground ?

Thank you in advance for your help !

Edited January 21, 2011 by aneliane

[Pib]

I live in western Bangkok...been here almost 3 years...never felt an earthquake. And my Thai wife of decades and her family have never talked of earthquakes in Thailand/Bangkok. If there was a daily earthquake occurring in the evening on a frequent basis, especially earthquakes large enough to shake your bed, then lots of other people in Bangkok would be noticing it and it would be all over the news. Expect you may be feeling heavy afternoon going-home traffic, a condo elevator, construction nearby, or something along those lines.

[Boater]

is your apartment under the subway system???

[aneliane]

is your apartment under the subway system???

Nope, no subway in Nonthaburi (unfortunately), but it's very quite the Express Way that goes to Victory Monument ...May be that's that

[DP25]

People in tall buildings felt the earthquake that caused the tsunami but I haven't heard of any others that could be felt

[Boater]

how old is your building? , does it look structually safe?

[aneliane]

how old is your building? , does it look structually safe?

It is completely new !

Its the SEED CONDO on Chaeng wattanna

http://www.theseed-condo.com/shareviews/concept.rails?menu=menu8-1&gId=29

[CanInBKK]

is your apartment under the subway system???

Subterranean living conditions! j/k I know what you meant

[aneliane]

is your apartment under the subway system???

Nope, no subway in Nonthaburi (unfortunately), but it's quite near the Express Way that goes to Victory Monument ...May be that's that

[somtampet]

is your apartment under the subway system???

Nope, no subway in Nonthaburi (unfortunately), but it's very quite the Express Way that goes to Victory Monument ...May be that's that

Sorry about the tremors,i am your next door neighbour and will try to refrain from bringing three Bangkok bar girls back with me its hard work you know

[Pib]

If cracks are occurring more often on multiple floors and management is sending workers promptly to cover the cracks that ain't a good thing. Well, it's good they are reacting prompting, but hopefully they are not just smearing patch material over a major structural deficiency. It may be best to get serious with management about the structural integrity of the building based on your description of the shaking and cracks appearing more often.

[somtampet]

On a serious note that condo sounds well dodgy and i would get professional help to check out the structure, much cheaper than a funeral

Edited January 21, 2011 by somtampet

[phaethon]

New rendering on walls often cracks here and needs patching, you see it a lot on the outside of new buildings where cracks have been filled and painted over. That doesn't explain the movement of the bed though.

Over amorous but freakishly quiet neighbours? Any construction in the area (pile-driving foundations, big lorries removing earth etc.?) Don't think there have been any strong winds recently.

Any recent big buildings appeared nearby that may be settling?

Although Bangkok is far from seismically active areas there is some evidence that the regions structure may not attenuate disturbances from distant earthquakes very well. If this were your problem though, I think we'd hear more reports of this kind of thing. What do your neighbours have to say?

[aneliane]

New rendering on walls often cracks here and needs patching, you see it a lot on the outside of new buildings where cracks have been filled and painted over. That doesn't explain the movement of the bed though.

Over amorous but freakishly quiet neighbours? Any construction in the area (pile-driving foundations, big lorries removing earth etc.?) Don't think there have been any strong winds recently.

Any recent big buildings appeared nearby that may be settling?

Although Bangkok is far from seismically active areas there is some evidence that the regions structure may not attenuate disturbances from distant earthquakes very well. If this were your problem though, I think we'd hear more reports of this kind of thing. What do your neighbours have to say?

No neighbours at all, the flat next door is empty and I am at the end of the corridor.

As I said the condo is new and not so popular to be honnest, many flat are empty (may be that is why ) so I don't see many people,

And also other tenants are not so talkative, not everyone even says "hello", I say Sawadeeka to everyone but don't always get an answer, so it does not exactly encourage me to have a conversation about shakes adding to this that I don't speak Thai ...

May be dodgy foundations ...

[Tywais]

Been in Thailand about 20 years and there were 2 or 3 reported quakes that I remember felt in Bangkok where people fled to the streets. The quakes though originated in China & Burma though and not Bangkok itself. I've felt several in Chiang Mai though it has more fault areas than Bangkok.

2004 quake opened more fault lines

Thailand prepares for earthquakes

//edit - forgot to mention, highly unlikely that is what you are feeling. Any heavy truck traffic by you?

[aneliane]

Been in Thailand about 20 years and there were 2 or 3 reported quakes that I remember felt in Bangkok where people fled to the streets. The quakes though originated in China & Burma though and not Bangkok itself. I've felt several in Chiang Mai though it has more fault areas than Bangkok.

2004 quake opened more fault lines

Thailand prepares for earthquakes

//edit - forgot to mention, highly unlikely that is what you are feeling. Any heavy truck traffic by you?

Yes totally as I said I am quite near the express way and chaeng wattanna is a big road too ....

[kurnell]

Trucks rumbling by on the local roads have always shaken buildings and houses that i have lived in

[elcondor]

since the building is new, it's probably some settlement of the foundations, it's a normal process and unless you see some BIG cracks on the building there is nothing to worry about it

[aneliane]

Trucks rumbling by on the local roads have always shaken buildings and houses that i have lived in

ok thanks that makes sense

[sunholidaysun1]

I would sell up or rent somewhere else quick, just in case.

[alantheembalmer]

If you want to do a simple check, to see if the building is moving, regularly note the ease with which you can open and close the doors and windows. If they become difficult to open, because of the twisting of the frame, which is due to the movement of the structure, bring it to the attention of the management of the condo immediately.

It is usually around reveals that the first signs of structural degradation takes place.

[starman_tom]

This is nothing else than trucks loaded with 6000 tons, instead of the legal 50 tons. Very common in Bangkok to have houses shake when they pass on a nearby road, Bangkok was built on a swamp after all. Be prepared to see the cracks growing in your home.

Welcome to Thailand.

[TCW]

I would not be surprised if these are vibrations from the nearby roadway amplified by the ground conditions. Also settlement cracks in any new building are normal.

Probably nothing at all to worry about. I hope not anyway.

[PattayaParent]

Bangkok is built on a marsh and is in effect 'floating' and the tremors you are feeling are likely from big trucks passing by on a nearby road and sending ripples out.

[CNXBKKMAN]

I hope you are renting, Monitor the cracks. If the cracks become wider i would be worried. If the cracks are anything like a 10mm i would move out.. A hotel collapsed in Korat years ago. The staff were reporting cracks that were getting bigger. The managemnet said nothing to worry about. About 3 weeks later it fell down. 100 people dead? I can't remember. 1996?

[thaihome]

I hope you are renting, Monitor the cracks. If the cracks become wider i would be worried. If the cracks are anything like a 10mm i would move out.. A hotel collapsed in Korat years ago. The staff were reporting cracks that were getting bigger. The managemnet said nothing to worry about. About 3 weeks later it fell down. 100 people dead? I can't remember. 1996?

It was a six storey building and I believe it was 1993 when it collapsed. Well over a 100. I think the owner and builder went to jail for a while over it.

Of course, how many building 5 times that height have been built in Thailand in past 17 years and how many of those have collapsed?

TH

[Pib]

This is nothing else than trucks loaded with 6000 tons, instead of the legal 50 tons. Very common in Bangkok to have houses shake when they pass on a nearby road, Bangkok was built on a swamp after all. Be prepared to see the cracks growing in your home.

Welcome to Thailand.

6000 tons!!!!??? Hopefully you made a typo. The largest trucks in the world "gross" weigh-in around 500 tons (one million pounds) when fully loaded and wouldn't even fit on most Bangkok roads. They are mining trucks. See below web link. 6000 tons sounds more like a battle ship going down the road. But regardless, Yes, no shortage of big and overloaded trucks on Thailand highways.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/biggest-truck-in-the-world.htm

[yeno]

The building is too weak; sometimes I cross the street and those small bridges and they are waving

[trogers]

There used to be a 8-storey guesthouse located near to Sino-Thai building and next to Soi Asoke (Sukhumvit 21) which my previous company used as accommodation for visiting staff. And we usually receive complaints from the staff that the place is haunted due to having the bed moved during the night. Some even suffered being thrown off their beds.

Turned out the cause was from passing loaded 10-wheel trucks and trailers shaking the ground below the main road, which in turned shook the building.

[Travel2003]

Probably not strong enough building materials.

Would not be surprised if a news paper one day roll up a scandal involving building materials, and paid off building inspectors.

Unfortunately most sectors in the kingdom are affected by corruption, so why not the building sector as well.

Hmmm, hope I didnt made the OP lose his sleep.