FACTORS AFFECTING BUILDING DAMAGE AND PEOPLE'S PREPAREDNESS FOR EARTHQUAKE IN CHIANG RAI

Abstract

On May 5, 2014, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale occurred in Chiang Rai, Thailand. This earthquake was the strongest earthquake in Thailand at the Mae Lao District region. It also caused building damage and casualties. In this research, 277 participants living in village no.2 and village no.7 of Dong Mada, a sub-district at Mae Lao district in Chiang Rai, were selected. A questionnaire was used to interview these participants, and the data were analyzed by Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, a Mann-Whitney U test, and a Kruskal-Wallis test. The objective of this study was to examine factors that affected building damage, preparedness for behavior during future earthquakes, preparedness before and after earthquakes in the future, seismic risk perception; and what would be the framing type of building damage that affected seismic risk perception. The results indicated that the location of the buildings and building types affected structural damage levels while the year built did not affect structural damage levels. The casualties and earthquake experience of May 5, 2014 did not affect preparedness for behavior during future earthquakes. However, seminars did. Sex, age, education levels, house ownership, and income were associated with preparedness before and after earthquakes in the future. However, time living in the present house and villages were not associated with preparedness before and after earthquakes in the future. Sex, age, education levels, house ownership, income, and time living in the present house were not associated with seismic risk perception. Most participants behaved well on risk perception although most with low socio-economic status lived near the epicenter, and most participants behaved with low preparedness. It may be because most of their low socio-economic status, meaning one-third of the participants were poor; thus, they lacked money for earthquake preparedness. People may have more earthquake preparedness when they perceive earthquake data by the suitable framing. Overall, giving earthquake education through seminars, facilitating preparation for earthquakes, and strengthening buildings with seismic provisions are all factors likely to decrease earthquake risk.