Parliament House on Monday reported no damage after the March 28 earthquake, and that new safety equipment and an updated evacuation plan had been prepared should there be a repeat of the tremors that shook the capital on Friday.
The Upper House also resumed its session on Monday after last week’s earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, affected Bangkok and various parts of Thailand.
Second Deputy Senate Speaker Boonsong Noisophon led a one-minute moment of silence in memory of those died during the natural disaster before the meeting began.
Sen Boonsong said experts from the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) and the Public Works and Town and Country Planning Department inspected Parliament House's structure on Saturday, followed by EIT deputy chairman Karoon Chandrangsu the day after. Both inspections found no damage.
Senate Speaker Mongkol Surasajja had on Sunday led a rehearsal of the new evacuation procedure and demonstrated the newly installed safety equipment, including helmets, safety vests and whistles, to prepare House members for future evacuation, said Sen Boonsong.
Sen Noppadol In-na, who is also a civil engineering expert, said he was working on the fourth floor of the House with House Speaker Wan Muhammad Noor Mattha when the earthquake occurred.
He said that while he and the other officers could slip out via an emergency door, “the House needs to install signs that points to the nearest emergency exit and an assembly point".
Sen Noppadol said that there were no issues with the stability of the House structure due to its deep foundations, which extend 64–65 metres underground.
The inspections also found no fractures around the buildings and the connecting bridge, but did detect a minor cement crack that had not affected the structural stability. A closer inspection is still needed for those fractures in case they grow bigger, he added.
“The Senate needs to raise awareness of the necessity of evacuation rehearsals in case of disasters, as well as to send alerts directly to the Senate's group chat in Line Messenger,” said Mr Noppadol.
The Lower House will set up its own committee to determine the safety of the parliament building on Wednesday.
The committee will consist of representatives of both secretariat offices, the Public Works and Town and Country Planning Department and related sectors.
