Northern earthquake costs Thailand '2 billion baht'

[webfact]

Northern Earthquake Costs Thailand '2 Billion Baht'
By Khaosod English



BANGKOK — The 6.0 magnitude earthquake that shook northern Thailand on Monday caused 2 billion baht in damages, a prominent economist has estimated.

Thanawat Polwichai, director of the Centre for Economics and Business Forecasting, said the toll would have been significantly higher if the quake had struck in an area more industrialised and populated than the mountainous province of Chiang Rai.

The earthquake has damaged a large number of roads, temples, and residences, but no factories or industrial estates were affected, Mr. Thanawat noted.

Nevertheless, the province will still suffer from the "psychological effect" of the earthquake, such as a decrease in tourist numbers, Mr. Thanawat said. He also warned that the problem could worsen if more earthquakes with a similar magnitude hit the province in the next few months.

In the long term, potential customers of high-rise condominiums and apartments in northern cities may also be deterred from buying properties due to fears of earthquakes, Mr. Thanawat said.

However, the economist suggested that the earthquake that struck Chiang Rai on 5 May also brought long term positive outcomes, such as the renewed effort by authorities and the private sector to prepare for seismic activities in the future, namely by inspecting and designing structures to match the challenge.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1399457959&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2014-05-08

[jucel]

That picture is very pertinent at the moment!

Edited May 7, 2014 by jucel

[webfact]

Villagers fight to save quake-hit homes
PONGPHON SARNSAMAK
THE NATION
CHIANG RAI


Following the 6.3-magnitude quake on Monday, residents in Chiang Rai

BANGKOK: -- AS MUD continues to gush from |the ground around and in their |village following Monday's big quake, people in Chiang Rai's Ban San Kan Haew continue to live in fear.

Somneuk Wanna, a 57-year-old villager from the Mae Lao district, has started to repair his home |after the damage inflicted by the 6.3-magnitude earthquake. However, |he is afraid the building might collapse after finding large amounts of mud pouring out from the foundations.

"I am still afraid that some day |in the near future my house will |collapse. I think there is a hole |under it," he said. The bedroom on the first floor of his house was |damaged by the mud slush, and so too was the wall surrounding the building and the basic structure of his house.

Like Somneuk, Chan Utma, 60, faced a similar situation. She was afraid to sleep in her own house as mud bubbled up from underground near the house pillars.

"I need some experts to study |the structure of the building to see |if it is strong enough to stand," she said.

Sambat Pintasarn, 39, has asked his relatives to help fix up his damaged house. All its pillars were damaged by the quake and most have collapsed. He is using dozens of small logs to support it.

"I don't know what to do at this time. The only thing I can do is find something to hold up my house before it falls down," he said. However, he is still worried with financial problems as he has to pay back a monthly debt to the bank from whom he had taken a loan to build the house.

"It would be good for us if the |government could help us resolve our financial problems," he said. In the future, he said he would design his house in a way as to withstand another earthquake.

"The government should send some officials to tell us how to construct our house to make it quake-proof," he added.

Meanwhile, Sarinthip Kukam |of the Department of Mineral Resources, has visited Ban San |Kan Haew to investigate the |quake damage. She warned |villagers to stay away from their houses for now as aftershocks |from the magnitude-5 quake are |still likely at any time. Sleeping in their homes could be dangerous, she said.

Sarinthip advised locals to use foundation poles that go more than five metres deep into the ground for the construction of their repaired houses.

-- The Nation 2014-05-08

[davehowden]

Fallen Idol

[dinooz]

The hell with the temple. Pay the farmers first.

Yep its a catch 22 situation , the central budget kept aside for natural disasters such as this is exactly where the Govt is borrowing from to try and pay the farmers.

[NongKhaiKid]

The hell with the temple. Pay the farmers first.

Fix the temple and make merit.

Pay the farmers and make votes.

decisions, decisions.

[khwaibah]

How about the 3.8 billion baht for the last joke of an election that a certain party has to pay back?

[belg]

maybe a good example how everything is built here... a serious quake in the capital and many of those myanmar built labour houses would collaps of sink further in the ground even quicker

[Mango Bob]

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How about the 3.8 billion baht for the last joke of an election that a certain party has to pay back? alt=whistling.gif>

Where do you read has to pay back. Read the article it wants them to pay it. Of course that is BS and you know it or maybe you don't.

[SOTIRIOS]

....I guess 500 million is not enough....let's multiply that by 4......

...flood money....water money...road money....car scheme....rice scheme........nothing paid........

...when will this madness stop....

[chotthee]

That picture is very pertinent at the moment!

Krama.

Lrama of the people in the North.

A warning from God not to form the Lanna Republic.

Or is it a sign from God to form the Lanna Republic?

I am confused.

[BudRight]

Cheap for you.