Be that as it may, the question that needs to be asked is: is there any possibility, no matter how remote, of Thailand experiencing a devastating earthquake, and how prepared are we to cope with such a risk? Experts agree that if a powerful earthquake takes place closer to Bangkok, the city could face serious consequences, as the overwhelming majority of high-rise buildings are located in this sprawling, densely populated metropolis.

Two moderately active geological faults have been identified in the province of Kanchanaburi which is only about 200 kilometres away from Bangkok. There are 11 other active faults; most of them located in the North, Kanchanaburi and the southern province of Ranong.

At present, only buildings in nine northern provinces and Kanchanaburi, which are classified as moderate- to high-risk areas, are legally required to be "quake proof", but the law only covers new buildings which leaves virtually all pre-existing structures unsafe in the event of a major earthquake.

In Bangkok, only a small number of recently built structures were specifically designed to be flexible enough to withstand earthquakes. Although draft legislation has been approved by the Earthquake Commission to make it compulsory for new buildings in Bangkok and the vicinity to be quake-proof, it has yet to be put into effect.

Professor Panitan Lukkunaprasit of Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Engineering, one of a handful of experts on quake-proof building designs, has made recommendations to the government suggesting that it consider cost-effective ways to build earthquake-proof buildings in Thailand. One of the techniques is the use of simple devices called hook-clips to keep enforcing rods within concrete pillars and prevent beams from disintegrating in the event of an earthquake. This building technique has been found to be equal in quality to international standards for earthquake-proof building materials.

We need more research and development into cost-effective technologies such as this that are appropriate for a middle-income developing country like Thailand. The country also needs better monitoring of seismic activities in order for officials to better assess risks.

Since the catastrophic Indian Ocean earthquake/tsunami on December 26, 2004, which killed some 250,000 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and other countries, international cooperation on disaster preparedness has improved significantly. But such capability building exercises should be expanded to cover earthquakes as well.

As much as Thailand has increased its preparedness to deal with tsunamis, which often follow undersea earthquakes, the country still needs to develop its responses to potentially dangerous earthquakes that could strike inland areas.

It is not an exaggeration to say that this country's ability to respond to an earthquake is still in its infancy. A public education campaign and a tightening of the regulatory framework to ensure that tall buildings are designed to withstand earthquakes have yet to be implemented.

The problem with earthquakes is that despite scientific advancement in seismology, there is no way to accurately predict the exact time, location or magnitude of this particularly frightening natural disaster.

As with all natural disasters that occur rarely, the government must take a balanced approach to raise Thailand's level of preparedness, taking into consideration all risks based on the probability of the disaster happening and the available resources on hand.