Thailand lays out plans in response to possible quakes

BANGKOK, July 24 (TNA) - Learning lessons from Nepal's massive quake in late May 2015 and last year’s quakes in Chiang Rai Province in the Thai North, the Thai government, through the Ministry of Interior, is working out plans on more efficient disaster management. While opening a seminar on quakes and challenges in preparation for responses, organized by the Ministry of Interior's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation in Bangkok on Friday, Thai Deputy Interior Minister Suthee Makboon acknowledged although Thailand does not stand on fault lines being at risk of massive quakes, but the country remains at risk of minor to medium quakes from 14 active fault lines, covering 22 Thai provinces. Suthee stressed that the Thai government has, thus, assigned his ministry to work out pro-active plans in response to the possible quakes by listing risk-prone areas and linking warning systems among relevant agencies in a comprehensive preparation for the disaster. Also speaking at the seminar, held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in the Thai capital, the department's director-general, Chartchai Promlert, said that the plans focus on preparedness and post-quake responses, based on the lessons learned from Nepal's quake and last year’s quakes in Chiang Rai to help concerned agencies to deal with possible future quakes more efficiently. (TNA)