BANGKOK SUBWAY LATEST NEWS - JUNE 2004
If you need help with the acronyms in these articles,
see Thai alphabet soup
& 2b glossary
Subway unsafe?
- June 17, 2004
With the New
World Department Store collapse still a hot topic, the latest
controversy in the Thai press is the bold statements made by
the Engineering Institute about both the subway and buildings
in general. Today 2Bangkok.com has the entire string of claims
and counterclaims. You will not find stuff like this in the
English-language papers...
Engineering Institute claims that the Subway
system is very dangerous - translated
and summarized by Wisarut Bholsithi from Manager Daily,
June 15, 2004
The Engineering Institute of Thailand said all the buildings in
Bangkok are ready to be collapsed at any time since engineers
are too greedy to care about the safety of the people. Thus, people
must be careful when they go into any building.
Deputy Prof. Tortakul Yomnak (Director of Engineering Institute
of Thailand) have said that virtually all buildings in Bangkok
can collapse at any time. MBK is a good example of this "building
time bomb." If terrorists set fire to MBK, those who are
stuck inside the building will be burnt to death within 15-30
minutes since the structure is ready to collapsed during the arson
due to poor design and fire traps inside the buildings caused
by products clogging walkways.
Cram schools in Siam Square are another fire trap and ready to
collapse during storms. Even by the vibrations from heavy trucks
running around Siam Square shakes the buildings.
Even those who use the Subway system had better be fit enough
to run out of the stations within six seconds if a fire breaks
out since there are too few gates in each station and the fire
alarm is not working properly.
Even the design of air-conditioning systems inside hospitals are
in a very sorry state since it does not have any air cleaning
system to kill virus and bacteria.
The Chief Engineering of Dept. of Civil Work and City Planning
said the owners of buildings are caring more about their own private
interests at the expense of public well being. Even the skyscrapers
and condominiums in Bangkok have very lousy fire alarm and extinguishing
systems and poor structures. Legal loopholes have kept the old
but poor designed buildings alive.
The experts on earthquake and vibration from Chulalongkorn U.
have condemned architects and engineers that care more about money
from the builder owners than public safety. Even worse, the hiring
of foreign engineers to control the construction of buildings
is a sign of the total failure of Thai engineers since those foreign
experts are out of touch with the reality in Thailand.
The expert on fire safety form Chulalongkorn U. said the remedies
for these problems are to add more requirement courses for civil
engineers such as the building law codes and the building control
course by going to the construction sites instead of staying in
the lecture rooms.
The instructors in engineering schools must come up with new teaching
methods for engineering courses by taking engineering students
to the construction sites instead of keeping them inside lecture
rooms.
The Engineering
Institute also said...
- translated and summarized by Wisarut Bholsithi from Matichon
Daily, June 16, 2004
1) Bonanza Building (opposite of MBK) violates the law by
not installing fire escapes and building in a form not appearing
in the blueprint.
2) MBK - Fire escapes are filled with garbage and the building
codes are violated by adding more floors.
3) Advertising billboards are not designed to be storm resistant.
4) MRTA Subway has no sprinklers for fire extinguishing at
the platform and concourse levels. NFPA 130 is not adequate
to handle arson in Thailand.
Irregularities in the northern section of the
subway - translated and summarized by
Wisarut Bholsithi from Than Setthakij, June 17-19, 2004
Even though MRTA is going to invite His Majesty and the Royal
Family to make an Official Ceremony for the opening of the subway
system at Hua Lamphong Station this July, the northern section
(Bangsue - Huai Kwang) seems not to be cleared--it still has several
defects left untouched to correct this matter. MOTC, MRTA and
CSC1 seem to take a kickback from ITD and Japanese partners to
look the other way instead of making through inspection and correcting
this matter. BMCL must keep all the records and take photographs
of subway stations in detail as evidence to file lawsuits against
contractors like ITD.
MRTA insists the subway is safe -
translated and summarized by Wisarut Bholsithi from Matichon
Daily, June 17, 2004
MRTA has responded to the critics from the Engineering Institute
of Thailand saying the contractors have followed NFPA standards
and the output has been inspected by MRTA and NFPA as well as
CSC1 (independent consulting engineers). If there are some defect,
CSC1 has to explain to the public as the way to force BMCL and
Siemens to correct the errors to ensure public safety.
MRTA will ensure that the evacuation route will be within 300-500
m from the platforms. Even though the restrooms have been closed
for public safety, it does not matter very much...
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