Phuket earthquake fears prompt residents to leave homes

A Phuket Town resident explains to rescue workers how the

floor tiles started cracking and popping up from his floor

PHUKET: Though it did very little damage to anyone in Phuket, a 4.4-magnitude earthquake in the Andaman Sea about 80 kilometers from the resort province sparked fear in some neighborhoods.

Damaged tiles in a house south of Phuket Town prompted the residents of the area to leave their homes.

“My wife received an SMS on her mobile phone about an earthquake. Then, about an hour later while I was in the living room with our son, I heard a sound like a rat running and hitting the door and table,” said one resident in a street off Wirat Hongyok Road.

“I grabbed a wood stick and started looking for the rat, but I couldn’t find it. Then the tiles on the floor started cracking and popping up from the floor. This went on for about 20 minutes.

“I called for everyone – there were six people in my house – to leave the house immediately” he said.

Other residents left their homes to join his family on street, one household after a boy started panicking.

Worried about whether his house might collapse, another man called the Ruamjai Rescue Foundation.

Rescue workers arrived and after inspecting it said the damage was likely from poor construction.

“After all the disaster movies I’ve seen, I thought something was going happen suddenly. It was better for us to be prepared, even though it turned out to be nothing,” he said.

Asked for his name, the man declined, saying that people might "tease" him for being overly worried by the event

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-05-01

Never noticed a thing. Did not even hear about this event until now.

Nobody noticed.

Not on record.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Maps/region/Asia.php

Nobody noticed.

Not on record.

http://earthquake.us...region/Asia.php

There was a 4.1 at 12:09 AM May 1st recorded on your link. I was up and didn't notice anything, but a 4.1 isn't very noticeable, unless it's right under you.

Nobody noticed.

Not on record.

http://earthquake.us...region/Asia.php

There was a 4.1 at 12:09 AM May 1st recorded on your link. I was up and didn't notice anything, but a 4.1 isn't very noticeable, unless it's right under you.

Yes, in Sumatra.

750 km away.

The article states 80 km outside Phuket.

Asked for his name, the man declined, saying that people might "tease" him for being overly worried by the event

Happy to have his picture taken though?

I felt an earthquake yesterday early in the day it was a small one and didn't seem to last for more than 15 to 20 seconds. I was sitting down at the time and felt the roll come in. I called several friends but none had felt it and I was beginning to question my alcohol intake. So good to see that someone else felt it also. I live in the Chalong area. <br>

I believe the earthquake being referred to was at 6.12pm yesterday.

There were two tremors, separated by about a second, and they lasted maybe one and a half seconds each.

Our house, east of Heroines' Monument, shook and the second tremor, which was stronger, rattled a couple of vases together on our dining table.

A little bit scary.

No mention of Andaman sea or Phuket or Thailand for that matter.

http://quakes.globalincidentmap.com/

Asked for his name, the man declined, saying that people might "tease" him for being overly worried by the event

Happy to have his picture taken though?

Different people.

I'd like to say it was our fantastic love making but were only just falling asleep the other night here in Bangkok when I'm certain I felt a tremor and the bed was shaking slightly I brought my wife's attention to it and she felt it too, but it was very subtle.. I never heard anything about any in the area but it was distinct and unmistakable..

Edited May 1, 201115 yr by WarpSpeed

"Worried about whether his house might collapse, another man called the Ruamjai Rescue Foundation.

Rescue workers arrived and after inspecting it said the damage was likely from poor construction"

poor construction in Thailand?...hehehehehee

"Worried about whether his house might collapse, another man called the Ruamjai Rescue Foundation.

Rescue workers arrived and after inspecting it said the damage was likely from poor construction"

poor construction in Thailand?...hehehehehee

Don't start me off. I was thinking about highlighting those comments earlier on. You just got to laugh ... poor construction .. ha ha ha

Serious question: Most of the big highrises are in Patong. These are usually solid concrete structures built with the ability to withstand Typhoons.

I do not think buildings like the Paradise Hotel, C&N Hotel, Patong Tower etc. were built to sway like the Japanese buildings in Tokyo that survived the march earthquake. Even the old Arcadia/Hilton in Karon is a big concrete block.

The question is at what point do you think the buildings will sustain significant damage? It is a question that I have sometimes pondered, particularly whether or not the land will give way where there is the residential construction on the steep hills that face into Patong right behind Jungceylon.

a lot of underwear was ready for the wash shortly after

Asked for his name, the man declined, saying that people might "tease" him for being overly worried by the event

Happy to have his picture taken though?

That's exactly what I was thinking. I really don't understand the face saving thing