MORE aftershocks were felt overnight and today on Phuket at 23.47 (magnitude 2.1) 01.00 (2.2) 02.02 (2.5) 08.30 (2.3) and 12.18 (3.1). All were centred in Thalang, according to the Thai Meteoroligical Department.


PHUKET: Senior Phuket administrators will today be considering what action to take after 11 houses were damaged yesterday in an earthquake with its epicentre on Phuket.

The main Phuket shake of magnitude 4.3 came at 4.44pm and was followed by aftershocks measuring 2.7 at 20.30 pm, 2.6 at 21.17pm and 2.7 at 23.03 pm.

Layan beach in the central Phuket district of Thalang was the epicentre for the first earthquake, around Srisoonthorn Moo 2, also known as Liporn Village.

Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak toured the 11 damaged houses last night and was to meet with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha today.

Most of the houses suffered superficial cracks.

It's believed many of the tourists who joined Phuket residents yesterday in fleeing Phuket's west coast beaches also headed for the hills five days ago when an 8.6 magnitude earthquake on the seabed off Sumatra triggered a tsunami watch.

Coincidentally, one of many aftershocks from Wednesday's seismic activity came with a 5.4-magnitude tremor off Sumatra just two minutes after the Phuket earthquake.

Seismologists today will be looking intensely at the Phuket earthquake. It's the first recorded on Phuket in modern times, and it could indicate fresh activity along a fault line that crosses Thailand.

The Director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore, Kerry Sieh, told CNN that Wednesday's earthquake was was the largest of its type ever recorded and increased the risk of more powerful quakes in the region.