CHIANG RAI – Japan’s Consulate-General has handed over an earthquake-resistant building to a nursery-primary school in Mae Lao district that was severely damaged by a quake five years ago.
Hiroshi Matsumoto, Consul-General to Chiang Mai province, handed over the new four-classroom building to Surasak Benjapalaporn, head of Mae Lao kindergarten, Friday.
Built at a cost of 7.3 million baht, the steel structure was funded with a grant from the Japanese government. The school suffered major damage from a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on May 5, 2014.
The school was only two kilometers from the epicentre in Mae Lao, Chiang Rai.
Consul-General Matsumoto said the new school building is the first earthquake-resistant structure in Thailand.
There are currently 136 children in eight classes at Mae Lao kindergarten.
Most are from underprivileged families.
