A recent survey by Nida Poll has revealed concerns among Bangkok residents about the structural safety of buildings and other issues following the recent earthquake.
The poll was conducted on April 1-3 by telephone interviews with 1,300 respondents aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes throughout the capital.
When asked about their concerns in the aftermath of the earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand, the responses were as follows:
68.09% of respondents said they were concerned about how stable and safe buildings across the city are.
59.47% questioned the effectiveness of the early warning systems should another earthquake occur.
43.97% worried about when a powerful quake would happen again.
33.51% were concerned about traffic and public transport management during future emergencies.
33.21% wanted to know how to properly prepare for and respond to such disasters.
29.01% feared negative economic impacts on the country.
22.98% questioned whether the government would take strict legal action against those responsible for the collapsed State Audit Office building in Bangkok.
22.82% expressed psychological concerns, such as panic or mass hysteria, even in the absence of real danger.
21.53% cited fears of fake news causing public anxiety.
19.62% wondered if aid and relief efforts would be fairly distributed.
16.72% raised concerns about a possible downturn in tourism.
2.75% said they had no concerns.
0.99% did not know or were not interested.
Confidence in safety by building type
The survey also assessed public confidence in the safety of various building types in Bangkok, with responses varying as follows:
Shopping malls: 47.25% were somewhat confident, 30.15% not very confident, 12.60% very confident, and 9.47% not confident at all.
Religious buildings: 40.61% somewhat confident, 37.25% not very confident, 10.38% very confident, and 10.69% not confident at all.
Hotels: 42.75% somewhat confident, 36.18% not very confident, 9.77% very confident, and 10.61% not confident at all.
Private educational institutes: 53.12% somewhat confident, 29.39% not very confident, 9.47% very confident, and 7.33% not confident at all.
Private offices: 49.62% somewhat confident, 32.14% not very confident, 7.63% very confident, and 10.08% not confident at all.
Shophouses/commercial buildings: 42.13% not very confident, 38.40% somewhat confident, 6.95% very confident, and 11.76% not confident at all.
Public educational institutes: 40.38% not very confident, 36.88% somewhat confident, 6.64% very confident, and 15.57% not confident at all.
Entertainment venues: 44.12% not very confident, 26.49% somewhat confident, 5.42% very confident, and 18.70% not confident at all.
Private residential buildings (e.g., condos, apartments): 41.68% not very confident, 35.34% somewhat confident, 5.34% very confident, and 17.18% not confident at all.
Government residential buildings: 48.70% not very confident, 30.08% not confident at all, 17.63% somewhat confident, and 2.83% very confident.
Government office buildings: 48.93% not very confident, 30.84% not confident at all, 17.33% somewhat confident, and 2.52% very confident.
