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On March 28, 2025, a powerful earthquake struck central Myanmar, sending shockwaves across the region and causing widespread alarm in neighboring Thailand.
By
Adam Judd
-
Friday, 28 March 2025, 14:34
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the initial quake at a magnitude of 7.7, with its epicenter located approximately 16 kilometers northwest of Sagaing, Myanmar, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers. This was followed shortly by a significant aftershock measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale. The tremors were felt as far as Bangkok, Thailand—nearly 900 kilometers away—where buildings swayed, water spilled from high-rise pools, and residents fled into the streets in panic.
The earthquake hit Myanmar at around 11:50 AM IST (1:20 PM local time in Thailand), with its epicenter near the city of Mandalay, a major cultural and economic hub with a population of over 1.2 million. The shallow depth of the quake amplified its intensity at the surface, raising immediate concerns about potential damage in a country already strained by ongoing civil conflict.
Myanmar’s history of seismic activity along the Sagaing Fault, which runs north-south through the nation’s center, has made it prone to such events. However, as of now, there are no official reports detailing the extent of damage or casualties in Myanmar, where communication and infrastructure challenges may delay assessments.
In Thailand, the effects were immediate and dramatic, particularly in the bustling capital of Bangkok. Residents reported buildings swaying due to low-frequency resonance waves, a phenomenon that caused tall structures to oscillate noticeably but is not typically dangerous. Despite this, the intensity of the tremors triggered widespread evacuations. Videos circulating online showed water sloshing out of rooftop infinity pools, and witnesses described scenes of chaos as hundreds poured out of high-rise apartments, hotels, and office buildings.
Reports from Bangkok’s Thon Buri district highlighted damage to at least one residence, while reports state that the under construction skyscraper office of the auditor general in Chatuchak collapsed with dozens of construction workers inside. Thai authorities have yet to confirm these claims, but the quake’s impact was significant enough to suspend some metro and light rail services in the city. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra interrupted an official visit to Phuket to hold an urgent meeting.
The tremors were not limited to Bangkok. Residents in northern cities like Chiang Mai also reported feeling the shaking, with some describing running outside in a state of panic. “I was sleeping in the house, and I ran as far as I could in my pajamas out of the building,” a Chiang Mai resident told Thai media capturing the fear that gripped many across the region.
The earthquake’s reach extended beyond Myanmar and Thailand, with tremors reportedly felt in parts of Vietnam, Laos, China, and even as far as Delhi-NCR in India. The China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) recorded the initial quake at a magnitude of 7.9, slightly higher than the USGS estimate, and noted shaking in Yunnan province. In Bangkok, startled crowds gathered outside evacuated buildings, while in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw, early reports indicated buckled roads and falling debris from ceilings.
Thailand’s response has been swift, with emergency protocols activated to ensure public safety. However, the situation in Myanmar remains less clear. The Southeast Asian nation, grappling with a civil war and a strained medical system, may face big challenges in assessing and addressing the quake’s aftermath, particularly in rural areas near the epicenter.
This earthquake serves as a reminder of Southeast Asia’s vulnerability to natural disasters. Myanmar has experienced six quakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher near the Sagaing Fault between 1930 and 1956, and a 6.8-magnitude quake in 2016 killed three people and damaged historic temples in Bagan. For Thailand, such events are rarer, making the widespread shaking in Bangkok an unusual and unsettling experience for its 17 million residents
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