There were scenes of panic in Bangkok on Friday 28 March following a tremor lasting several minutes in the capital.following the deadly earthquake that shook Burma. In Myanmar, the death toll is in the thousands, while the country's second city, Mandalay, has suffered severe destruction.
By comparison, the very strong tremor in Bangkok doesn't seem like much. But the geopolitical and economic position of the Thai capitaland its appeal to international tourists were immediately echoed around the world. So much so that it almost eclipsed the tragedy in Myanmar. The collapse of a 30-storey building, the tremors in the transport system and the water cascading from hotel rooftop pools filled social networks throughout the weekend.
Starting on Saturday, however, the Thai government, Thailand's national tourism board, transport services and airport authorities reported that everything was back to normal.
11,000 buildings to check?
Except that uncertainty remains for Bangkok's buildings. The city authorities believe that the tremors seriously affected 700 properties. Cracks have appeared in the walls of a number of buildingsThe construction standards may not always be up to the desired standard.
The Governor of Bangkok, Chadchart Sittipuntasked owners of 11,000 buildings to carry out the necessary inspections the safety of the structures. While admitting that it was impossible for the municipality to inspect all the buildings. And to ensure that these inspections were carried out properly. In the end, the governor indicated that this was merely a non-binding piece of advice.
It is more than likely that hotel owners will take steps to reassure their guests about the solidity of the structures that welcome them. The Ministry of Tourism has ordered an audit of hotels and major tourist attractions. With an initial assessment: no major damage to the capital's monuments. The decision was made necessary by the fact that Thailand has a poor reputation for safety, due to a number of accidents in recent years...
However, the verdict will take longer for the some 650 hotels in the Thai metropolis. In the meantime, Bangkok seems to have returned to its frenetic pace... But thehe Hotel Association of Thailand reports an early departure of 10% of its customers. And he believes that April will continue to be adversely affected by the earthquake.
