Bangkok Residents Seek Quake-Proof Homes After Massive Tremor

After a major earthquake in March damaged hundreds of buildings, Bangkok residents are now seeking homes that can better withstand seismic activity.

Transcript

00:00Oh my god, um...

00:03Wait!

00:09After a huge earthquake shook Thailand on March 28th,

00:12Patsa Koring Gaokla waited two days before returning to his Bangkok apartment.

00:17But instead of feeling safe at home, he feels uneasy,

00:21looking at the long cracks in the 22nd floor residence.

00:24I have two options.

00:26One of the first options, I will go back to my family house.

00:30But it's too far from Bangkok, around one hour from here.

00:35And I will move to live in low-life condo about 7-4.

00:44Here I live is 22-4.

00:48So I feel a little bit scared.

00:51And also my mum told me to move out from here.

00:55The young man is among the many Bangkok residents left shaken by the recent massive earthquake.

01:00Hundreds of buildings in the city were damaged by the magnitude 7.7 tremor

01:05that originated in neighboring Myanmar.

01:07This event has prompted greater awareness about the need for earthquake-resistant homes.

01:12The young man has to be affected by the

01:24and the need for earthquake-resistant homes.

01:26Many are also looking to relocate to somewhere safer in the city.

01:56An earthquake engineering expert says,

02:06before 2009, Thailand didn't have comprehensive earthquake-resistant building standards.

02:12This means many older buildings weren't designed to withstand strong tremors.

02:16With this earthquake stirring public fear and anxiety,

02:19there may be a real push in the country for more quake-proof homes.

02:23Klein-Wong and Tany Chi for Tauan Plus.