Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra has ordered safety checks on all of Bangkok’s estimated 900 billboards after one collapsed in heavy rain on Rama II Road Sunday and killed a man.
More heavy rain and wind are forecasted for Bangkok and all 50 district offices have been instructed to check billboards immediately and remove those erected illegally, Sukhumbhand said.
A 50-year-old plasterer was hit when the billboard fell on Sunday and later died in the hospital, the Bangkok Post reported.
Deputy Bangkok governor Teerachon Manomaiphibul said that the owner of the faulty billboard had gotten permission to build it in 2004 and was in the process of renewing the certification after a mandatory yearly inspection. The engineer who made the inspection could face legal action if the billboard was found to be not in compliance with safety standards, he said.
Governor Sukhumbhand will meet with the BMA executives today to discuss related safety measures and penalties for owners of illegal commercial billboards, NNT reported.
