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[Photo: Bangkok Post - A freak storm sent a billboard crashing down onto a truck and a noodle stall, killing a woman customer. The accident occurred off of Pradit Manutham road in Bang Kapi district yesterday afternoon. — SURAPOL PROMSAKA NA SAKOLNAKORN]
Woman dies as storm knocks down billboards
A woman died yesterday after an advertising billboard in front of a food stall collapsed during a storm, which wreaked havoc in Bangkok.
High-voltage wires, meanwhile, were torn from poles and badly injured three students in front of Wichutis School.
Many other incidents of uprooted billboards, trees and power poles were reported.
"Suddenly, the sky turned dark and the wind gusted," Rerkchalin Dunyapojtheva said after he survived another fallen billboard. "Then, the
billboard next to my vehicle fell down so fast. It caught me slightly on the head," he said. He climbed out of this damaged pickup and alerted police.
In the fatal incident, witnesses said a four-storey-high billboard fell down during the storm and blocked the road.
Immediately after, a transformer exploded and caused panic among people in the area.
"The victim rushed to the front of the food shop but a pole collapsed and killed her," a witness said.
Bang Kapi District Office director Prasert Thongnoon said the woman was killed in an area under his jurisdiction.
"We are now warning people not to go out during stormy weather," he said.
Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin instructed all district-office directors to survey the damage and provide urgent assistance to people.
The three students injured outside Wichutis School were still in hospital late last night.
Witnesses said high-voltage wires snaked around them as they were waiting for a bus.
The victims were Piyanate Doktian, 5, Ornnapa Doktian, 8, and Jarkrit Doktian, 12. They suffered serious injuries.
Meanwhile, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department warned people
to beware of heavy downpours and windy storms until Sunday.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/06/29/headlines/headlines_30038044.php
Apirak says at least 28 giant billboards are near collapse
SUPOJ WANCHAROEN
At least twenty-eight of the 1,410 giant advertising billboards in Bangkok look insecure and are likely to collapse, Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said yesterday. He said the giant metal structures have been erected in six districts of the capital, one in Kannayao, one in Klong Toey, two in Phra Khanong, three in Bung Kum, nine in Bang Rak and 12 in Taling Chan.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was taking steps to remove them, and considering legal action against their owners.
Mr Apirak was speaking after a BMA meeting to discuss safety measures to cope with dangerous billboards following the collapse of one during a freak storm on Thursday which killed a woman.
Mr Apirak said the BMA had set up a panel to survey advertising billboards in the capital over the past two years.
Apirak: BMA taking step to remove them
The survey found that 887 billboards had been erected at ground level, and 523 put up on buildings. The BMA had awarded construction licences for 1,028, while another 382 were built without official permission.
Among these, 212 were constructed differently from original blueprints approved by the BMA.
The Bangkok governor said general advertising billboards could withstand winds of up to 30 kilometres per hour. The winds on Thursday blew at up to 50kph, which was stronger than usual.
The BMA would work with the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning to tighten regulations to ensure that construction of billboards meets safety standards.
Under the proposed regulations, billboards up to 10 metres high must be able to resist wind pressure of 150 kilogrammes per square metre. Billboards higher than 10 metres must resist wind pressure of 180kg per square metre.
As for longer-term measures, the BMA last year issued a regulation prohibiting buildings in some areas from being modified to accommodate billboards, as well as a regulation that introduced third-class insurance coverage to protect victims of billboard-related accidents.
Deputy city governor Banasopit Mekvichai said the freak storm on Thursday wrought havoc in some 33 districts in Bangkok. Strong winds knocked down two giant billboards, and 23 small ones.
Link may expire:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/30Jun2007_news03.php
04 July 2007
BKK Governor orders all shaky ad billboards removed
Bangkok Governor has instructed all districts to remove all standing billboards if tests reveal that these structures cannot withstand the concrete and its weight.
Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin (อภิรักษ์ โกษะโยธิน)’s order to remove all unsafe billboards in the capital is in response to a recent collapse of a giant billboard, killing one passerby. Today he inspected three giant advertising billboards in Bueng Kum (บึงกุ่ม) District and have orderd all three to be demolished.
After speaking to building owners with shaky billboards on top of their building roofs, Mr Pirak said the building owners have showed signs of cooperation by allowing authorities to remove them. The removal is expected to take three-seven days per billboard.
Bangkok Governor has invited advertising billboard owners, the Advertising Association of Thailand, and the Engineering Institute of Thailand to attend a meeting to call on stricter enforcement of a building control law. The meeting is a move seen to curb illegal advertising billboards and prevent possible collapse of billboards.
Reporter : RTI-Reporter04
Sorry! Link mislaid!
if tests reveal that these structures cannot withstand the concrete and its weight???
Mr PirakWhere did the poor guy lose his "A"?
Ten injured in billboard collapse
Ten people were injured - two seriously - Wednesday afternoon, after a billboard at the mouth of Soi Sukhumvit 70/4 collapsed during a rainstorm. Uprooted trees and power poles in other areas were also reported.
Bang Na district chief Krit Watcharasiritham said the 4 metre x 24 metre billboard at the mouth of Soi Sukhumvit 70/4 collapsed in gusty winds onto a motorcycle taxi stand and passersby, causing 10 injuries - two were seriously wounded - and the injured were rushed to Bang Na Hospital.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30042411
Billboard firms face tough new laws
By Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn
The Nation
Published on June 23, 2008
Unhappy at plan to keep large signs 50m from main roads
Billboard companies have complained that laws expected to become effective next year to regulate outdoor advertising could harm their business.
The Public Works Department of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Town and Country Planning Division of the Interior Ministry have drafted new ministerial regulations to regulate the proliferation of outdoor signs and billboards.
The current building control laws stipulate that signs and billboards of specified heights and sizes undergo periodic inspection and certification by a registered official to assure proper and safe use during their service life. They also need a compulsory insurance policy.
Noppadon Tansalarak, president and CEO of Master Ad, said that under the current building control laws, any sign or billboard installed on the top of a building was required to be no more than 6 metres high.
However, the new regulations will specify that signs and billboards extend no more than 30 metres from the ground, whether or not they are on a building. Signs and billboards will also have to be more than 50 metres from any main road.
"The new draft has been designed by regulators who regard signs and billboards as visual pollution," said Noppadon.
He said that he accepted the authorities' new regulation forcing all outdoor signs and billboards to be no more than 30 metres high, but added: "However, the order to locate them at least 50 metres from main roads is quite impractical. Signs and billboards are there for advertising and putting them so far from main roads will limit their effectiveness."
He said two metres from main roads would be far more preferable.
Noppadon said Thailand could be a regional hub for outdoor media if the business received proper support from the government.
"There are between 1,400 and 1,500 outdoor billboards in Bangkok and most of the illegal ones have been erected by small investors and owners of real-estate projects, who are not members of the association," said Yuwapol Pornpratanvej, president of the Advertising and Sign Producing Association.
"They have not received permission from the state authority and some of them are in restricted areas."
The Advertising and Sign Producing Association has 169 members consisting of sign and billboard producers and suppliers.
People in the past have been killed or injured by the collapse of advertising signs. Yuwapol said billboards that had collapsed normally lacked good care and maintenance by operators, who were not in the sign and advertising media industry.
"There were about 110 illegal billboards that belonged to association members, but almost 90 per cent of them have been removed already," said Yuwapol. "The government should perform the role of inspector and allow the private sector to regulate itself."
Thanoo Sricot, deputy director-general of the BMA's Public Works Department, said there were many illegal signs and outdoor billboards in Bangkok and some of them had already been removed.
"There are about 285 left and they will be removed also," he said.
Paichit Thienthong, president of the Media Agency Association of Thailand, said that with the slower economy, spending on outdoor advertising media had dropped by 4 per cent from January to May compared to the same period last year.
She said product vendors would consider the visibility of outdoor media when advertising their products.
"As a media agency, we love to see sustainable growth in all areas of media," she added.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/06/23/headlines/headlines_30076183.php
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