AFTER Bangkok was shaken by a powerful earthquake centred at Myanmar’s Mandalay city at 1.20 p.m. yesterday (March 28) measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale, traffic has returned to normal today except for Din Daeng expressway and MRT Yellow and Pink lines which remain closed, TV Channel 7 and Naewna newspaper said.
The Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) said the Din Daeng expressway is still closed to clear debris from tall buildings along both sides. This will remain closed until the structure of these buildings along the entire system and surrounding area has been checked.
Exat later clarified that only the entrance and exit ramps to the Din Daeng stretch have been closed, not that entire stretch with the whole system remaining sound and usable after the earthquake. Please read follow up report – https://thainewsroom.com/2025/03/29/bangkok-expressway-system-usable-only-din-daeng-entrance-and-exit-ramps-closed/
Last night the army’s transport department sent buses to Suvarnabhumi Airport to help transport passengers to Ekamai bus terminal and the Victory Monument because the Airport Rail Line was temporarily closed and there were not enough taxis and ordinary buses to meet the demand.
The Thai Meteorological Department said at 6 a.m. this morning there had been 77 aftershocks from yesterday’s strong quake upto that point. However these were of low-intensity with many areas of Thailand barely feeling the tremors.
Meanwhile Mr. Phasakon Boonlak, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, summarised the earthquake situation at 10 p.m. last night saying 11 provinces had suffered damage with these being Samut Sakhon, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phrae, Mae Hong Son, Lampang, Chai Nat, Lamphun, Loei, Kamphaeng Phet, and Bangkok. Other provinces are still being surveyed.
Eight people died in this earthquake, nine were injured and 101 are missing.
He added that there are reports of cracks occurring in some buildings in Bangkok and some roads having subsided aside from the skyscraper that collapsed in Chatuchak area.
Mr. Suriyachai Rawiwan, a director of this same department, said the collapsed skyscraper had been divided in four zones, A, B, C and D, and thermal drones showed that in Zone A there were 10 people alive and two dead, Zone B, two alive and seven dead, and Zone D three alive and four dead.
Heavy machinery is being moved in to rescue those trapped in this building’s rubble,
Cracks also developed in a block of police flats in Muang Thong Thani with power cut but the commando unit officers residing there were able to go in and collect their belongings.
CAPTIONS:
Top: The police flats that developed cracks during the earthquake.
Front Page: Rescue operation at the collapsed skyscraper. Photos: Naewna
Also read: 23 aftershocks since the 8.2 magnitude earthquake at 1.20 p.m.
Bangkok Governor declares metropolis a disaster zone
Strong quake leads to building being built in Chatuchak collapsing
Revenue Dept urged to dig into PM’s tax evasion scandal
Myanmar releases 4 Thai fishermen, 3 Filipinos
