Bangkok has been declared a disaster area following the strong earthquake in neighbouring Myanmar, City Hall announced on Friday.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has been placed in charge of coordinating the disaster response, it said.
The governor said the quake had caused damage to many high-rise buildings in the capital. Inspections are under way and he urged people to be cautious.
Across the capital on Friday, many people left their workplaces and schools immediately but commuters were stuck on streets due to heavy congestion. Many people decided to walk back home.
“The roads and pavements all became clogged with traffic and people” after the quake, said Mark Smith, a 65-year-old from the United Kingdom. “I’ve not been able to really get out of town, so here I am looking for a Grab taxi, which may or may not arrive.”
Many people who returned to their condominiums were not allowed to enter their rooms because their buildings were closed pending safety checks. Many condominium residents shared pictures of cracks inside their rooms.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt left Lumpini, Benjasiri, Benjakitti and Chatuchak parks open all night long on Friday to accommodate those who could not return home. City Hall deployed mobile toilets and distributed drinking water at the parks.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) announced that all flights in and out of Bangkok were operating normally following the quake that rattled the city.
However, the Ministry of Transport ordered the suspension of public transport services, including many buses and all eight electric train lines. The latter are being inspected for damage and are expected to reopen on Saturday morning.
Tourist assistance centres were set up at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, where many people were stranded because the Airport Rail Link was not running on Friday night and there were not enough alternative transport options, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports said.
The following shuttle services are available from the passenger terminal at Suvarnabhumi: Bangna route to Market Village Suvarnabhumi; Lat Krabang route to Lat Krabang Railway Station; Suksaman route to the Suksaman Intersection Lat Krabang.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said the ministry had increased passenger boat trips on waterways including the Chao Phraya River to serve commuters.
The State Railway of Thailand delayed all trains to the North and the Northeast pending safety checks on all tracks and at all stations concerned including the Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Bangkok. Southbound trains left from Bang Sue Junction instead.
The Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal stands near the collapsed new State Audit Office in Chatuchak area.
Many people are left stranded at the Ari BTS Station in Bangkok after service was suspended due to the earthquake in Myanmar on Friday. (Photo supplied)
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), said telecoms operators reported that no base stations had been damaged by the earthquake.
“However, due to the current situation, there were a large number of users communicating and following news, which caused communication to be disrupted at some times,” it said.
Many people gather in the open areas of Lumpini Park in Bangkok following the earthquake on Friday afternoon. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)
People stand on the road as cars drive through the traffic after a strong earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, earthquake monitoring services said, which affected Bangkok as well with hundreds of people pouring out of buildings in the Thai capital in panic after the tremors on Friday. (Photo: Reuters)
The 7.7-magnitude tremor hit northwest of the city of Sagaing on Friday afternoon at a shallow depth, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. A 6.4-magnitude aftershock hit the same area minutes later.
Satellite image of the Myanmar earthquake on Friday. (United States Geological Survey)
