Spread the love

Post Views: 172

Widespread shockwaves felt as tremors Rock Thai Capital and Beyond.

A massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday afternoon, sending tremors across national borders and deeply unsettling residents in Bangkok, where high-rise buildings swayed, glass shattered, and thousands were evacuated in a city unaccustomed to such seismic jolts.

Eyewitness: “The Building Groaned Before We Fled”

Veteran travel executive and Bangkok resident Andrew J. Wood was among the first to report the quake’s impact in Thailand’s capital. Living on a high floor at The Winning Tower, Wood described a chilling moment of stillness before motion:

Andrew J. Wood outside his condo in Bangkok.

“The building groaned, almost like a warning. Then everything began to sway—light fixtures, furniture. Glasses fell and smashed. We didn’t hesitate. We knew we had to evacuate before an aftershock hit.”

After descending 22 floors by foot, Wood found approximately 150 people gathered calmly outside, united by a shared sense of urgency but maintaining Thai composure in the face of crisis.

Despite living in Bangkok for more than three decades, Wood noted that this was only the second earthquake he has ever experienced in the city—underlining the unusual nature of this event in the Thai capital, which is not typically in the seismic crosshairs.

Construction Collapse in Chatuchak: Emergency Crews Mobilized

While the structural integrity of most Bangkok buildings held firm, one construction site in Chatuchak suffered a significant collapse. The building—reportedly the future State Audit Office—was still under construction when the tremors hit.

According to The Nation and the National Institute for Emergency Medicine, 50 construction workers may have been trapped beneath the rubble. Emergency response units, including urban search and rescue teams, were swiftly dispatched and remain on-site, working tirelessly to locate survivors.

Seismic Activity in the Region: A Dangerous Precedent

While Thailand does not sit on a major fault line, neighboring Myanmar is part of the Alpide Belt, one of Earth’s most seismically active regions. The Sagaing Fault, in particular, is notorious for producing large-magnitude earthquakes, some of which have had far-reaching effects.

Collapsed! The new State Audit Office building was still under construction.

This quake, one of the strongest in recent regional memory, has prompted renewed discussions about Bangkok’s seismic preparedness. Engineers and authorities are now initiating urgent inspections of high-rise structures, particularly older buildings not designed with earthquake resilience in mind.

Coastal Regions Unaffected but Cautiously Monitoring

Wood, who also owns property in Pattaya, said he immediately checked with local contacts along Thailand’s eastern coast. Early reports suggest no impact on Pattaya or nearby provinces—welcome news for residents and the country’s tourism industry, which is especially sensitive to safety concerns.

“Thankfully, coastal regions seem untouched,” Wood said. “But this event is a reminder: even if we’re not the epicenter, we’re not immune.”

Authorities Urge Caution, Stay Prepared for Aftershocks

Bangkok residents on the street following the earthquake.

As of this report, no aftershocks have been recorded in Bangkok, but Thai authorities remain on high alert. Public safety announcements are encouraging residents to: