Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra affirmed that, except for a collapsed building under construction, no other project in Bangkok was seriously affected by the earthquake in Myanmar on March 28.
However, the collapse has raised many questions and prompted the government to investigate urgently, The Nation reported.
The collapsed building in Bangkok, Thailand, the State Audit Office, was under construction when a 7.7 Richter earthquake occurred on March 28. This is the only project in the city to collapse, although hundreds of other high-rise buildings are still standing firm.
During a visit to the metro system on March 29, Prime Minister Shinawatra expressed deep concern and stressed that the government will not ignore the issue. She ordered the establishment of an expert committee to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the construction quality of the building, the causes of the collapse, the approval process and supervision of the project.
When asked about the responsibility of the regulatory agency, Ms. Shinawatra emphasized that the Department of Public Works and Urban Planning will take primary responsibility for this investigation. She pledged that no one is above the law, and all violations, if any, will be strictly handled.
An important meeting between the government and experts is expected to take place later next week to announce the cause of the collapse.
The earthquake did not cause serious damage to the public transport system, but disrupted the operation of the metro line. The government has quickly inspected and tested the system before putting it back into operation.
Wittaya Phan mongkol, Deputy Governor of the Urban Railway Management Agency (MRTA), said the reason for the delay was that the metro's power system was vulnerable to earthquakes. After completing the inspection, the metro lines have been operating normally.
After working with experts, Prime Minister Shinawatra, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt inspected the construction sites around the Lumpini Park area.
The Prime Minister also met with foreign tourists and listened to their opinions on the situation after the earthquake. Many tourists said they only felt a slight shake-up and continued their journey to explore Bangkok without any problems.
