Due to earthquakes in the past three days, a seismometer will be installed in Koh Samui

Residents of Koh Samui assured island safe despite recent quakes, but seismometer on the way to calm fears

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Patcharawat Wongsuwan Sunday assured residents of Koh Samui that the tourist-destination island in Surat Thani province is safe even though it has been hit with three small quakes during the past three days.

Patcharawat said he has instructed the Mineral Resources Department to install a seismometer on the island to calm panicked residents.

On Thursday a 2.4-magnitude quake hit the island and two more quakes with 2.4 and 2.2 magnitude hit on Saturday.
Local people said they felt the quakes but no damage was reported.

Pichit Sombatmak, director general of the Mineral Resources Department, said the three quakes were very small in magnitude and caused no damage.

Meanwhile, Dr Virachart Wiwekwin, director of the active faults unit of the Seismology Division, said no aftershocks were reported.

He said the two quakes on Saturday happened in the sea near Tambon Borphut as a result of a fault shifting.
He said Koh Samui is safe from large quakes.

“Koh Samui is a safe area with no chance of a large quake happening,” Virachart said.

He said the Mineral Resources Department will dispatch a team of officials to Koh Samui on Tuesday and Wednesday to make preparations for installing a seismometer.