Prevention, Mitigation and Engineering Response for Geohazard in Thailand .

Dr Adichat SURINKUM

Abstract

Thailand is situated in SE Asia where most of the area has been under an influence of monsoonal type of weather. Geological settings of the country is believed to be the result of the collision between Indian and Eurasian plates that has great influence on the topographic, weather and tectonic activities, of the area for a long time. These factors are closely related to a number of serious geohazard of the area. Such geohazard include landslide and tsunami caused by a distant earthquake along the Indian-Eurasian subduction zone. Important geohazard cases in Thailand have been discussed and landslide is focused in order to make an optimum risks assessment.

There are three main landslide events occurred in Thailand . These landslides occurred in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in the south; Phetchabun province in the northeast; and Tak province in the west. The 2004’s Tsunami event was also unexpected one to a great number of people who live along the Andaman shorelines of the country. These events have generated awareness on landslide geohazard to the nation because it took many lives and damage properties.

As one of the major organization working on geohazard, the Department of Mineral Resources has carried out study programs in order to gain better understanding of such events and then set up activities for the prevention and mitigation for it via engineering approach. Most of our works are based upon not only a scientific approach but also concepts of people’s participatory. We have set up landslide warning networks for both local and regional ones for the high risk areas throughout the country. For tsunami, we have set up our measures via education, information transmission and evacuation plan for high risk areas. Our work has created awareness among people who have been or potentially been effected by such hazards to be well prepared for the event that has yet to come.