School buildings in Bangkok are vulnerable to earthquakes, a Japanese construction specialist has warned.
Hideki Kit Miyamoto, president and CEO of engineering consultancy group Miyamoto International, said many school buildings in Bangkok were of a similar design to those in other countries which have not withstood powerful quakes.
An earthquake of magnitude 8 on the Richter scale could easily damage a five-storey school building in Bangkok, Mr Miyamoto said.
Even if a magnitude 7 earthquake were to hit Kanchanaburi, where the nearest fault is located, buildings in Bangkok could be damaged.
The earthquake that struck China's Sichuan province in 2008 damaged several schools and hospitals, causing many student deaths, he said.
Pran Siamwalla, president of the Association of Natural Disaster Prevention Industry, said Bangkok's soil is naturally soft, helping to amplify shock waves by as much as 14 times.
If an earthquake were to strike, its impact could be devastating. "There are many high-rise buildings in Bangkok. They should be strong enough to handle earthquakes," he said.