Owners told to inspect for quake damage

 The firm expects the incident to have only a short-term impact on property transactions in the southern province unless the island experiences a larger quake.
Phuket has felt a series of shakes after the 4.3-magnitude earthquake that hit the island on Monday. While some houses have reportedly seen slight damage, authorities are expected to disclose more data as further inspections are carried out.
Jones Lang LaSalle manages 18 resort developments in Phuket, none of which has seen damage, based on the firm’s initial inspections.
Dexter Norville, head of the Phuket office, said yesterday that the good news was that the Phuket quake was relatively small and most of the luxury-resort and residential properties in the coastal destinations were believed to be constructed to a high standard.
However, to ensure the greatest safety, owners together with their property managers are encouraged to carry out inspections, no matter whether the property is a low-rise or low-density development.
After seismic activity, an initial action that property owners and managers should take is to inspect the major structural members of the building, including shear walls, beams and columns, for any major damage and cracks greater than 2-3 millimetres wide. This will determine whether the building has been affected by the earthquake.
Property owners or property-management firms without in-house experts on site should ask the municipality to send civil engineers or surveyors to inspect the property.
A series of inspections may be required if tremors continue.