Bangkok: Residents of Bangkok have been cautioned not to let their guard down after a significant earthquake struck off the coast of the Philippines. The president of the Structural Engineers Association has highlighted that the city remains vulnerable to seismic activity and urged for proactive measures to enhance safety.
According to Thai News Agency, Professor Dr. Amorn Pimanamas, who leads the Structural Engineers Association of Thailand and serves as a faculty member at Kasetsart University, provided insights into the recent 7.8 magnitude earthquake near Mindanao Island, Philippines. He noted that the Philippines' location on the Pacific Ring of Fire makes it prone to such large-scale tremors. The earthquake's proximity to major cities, classified as a short-range event, resulted in high-frequency shockwaves, leading to the collapse of several low-rise structures.
Professor Dr. Amorn elaborated on the differences between the seismic events in the Philippines and the 2025 earthquake in Bangkok. The latter was influenced by distant fault lines, including the Sagaing fault in Myanmar and another in Kanchanaburi province. Such distant earthquakes generate long-wavelength seismic waves, which pose a greater threat to taller structures in Bangkok.
He emphasized that Bangkok's vulnerability is exacerbated by its location on soft soil, which can amplify seismic waves and impact high-rise buildings. To mitigate risks, he urged the implementation of building surveys, the establishment of a comprehensive risk database, and the installation of sensor warning systems in vital and heavily occupied buildings.