Stories of the day the earth moved under Bangkok

The March 28 earthquake in Myanmar measured between 7.4 and 7.7 on the Richter scale, sending out the strongest tremors felt in Thailand since 1930.

For people of all ages in Bangkok, on that busy but fateful last Friday of the month, it was their first experience of an earthquake.

They were unprepared for the chaos caused that ensued.

Thai PBS World has spoken to some of them. Here are their stories from that chaotic day.

Sirikhwan Hrondang, 25, Operating nurse, Siriraj Hospital

I was monitoring my post-surgery eye and arthroscopic patients when the tremor struck.

At the time, there were various cases. Some patients had completed their surgeries, some hadn’t started and some were already anesthetised.

When the tremor hit, the operating theatres had to be cleared. Patients in post-operative care and those waiting for surgery were evacuated to the recovery room first.

Everything had to stop, except for patients already undergoing surgery. They, of course, had to be properly cared for until the procedures were completed.

Each bed had a member of the medical staff alongside it. We then began counting all the patients in the room.

Some were still semi-conscious, so we had to monitor both the patients and the medical devices closely, including all the oxygen tanks.

We were ordered to evacuate to a lower floor and counted the patients once again. Fortunately, we had an anaesthetist with us to keep a check on them.

They had never practiced earthquake drills before, only fire drills.

The evacuation was coordinated across multiple sectors but, in that moment, it was the doctors and nurses who took charge, prioritising the actions that needed to be taken.

We quickly discussed what needed to be done first, then we acted. None of us had ever experienced anything like this. It was everyone’s first time.

In the end, everything went well. Some people were in shock from what had happened, but everyone did their best to fulfill their duties. They were safely able to discharge some patients.

Akraphak Phaisitpornpol, 35, Office employee

I was working in my room, which is on the second floor of a low-rise condominium in the Ratchathewi area, and drinking a cup of coffee when I noticed the coffee shaking.

At first, I thought it was due to the construction of the Skytrain’s Orange Line nearby. When I looked out the window, though, and saw water splashing out of an adjacent condo’s rooftop pool, like a waterfall, I realised it was an earthquake.

My parents called to alert me about the quake, so I ran down to the ground floor and stood in front of the building. Many fellow residents were already there.

About ten minutes later, the condo’s staff informed us that it was safe to return to our rooms, but I did not want to go back just yet.

Instead, I chose to walk to Lumpini Park, because main mass transit, like the MRT and BTS, had stopped and traffic was gridlocked.

It took me about an hour to reach the park, which was crowded with people, including patients who had been evacuated from Chulalongkorn Hospital and office workers from buildings on Silom and Sathorn.

I checked the news and, when the condo staff confirmed it was safe, I walked back to my condo. Fortunately, both the building and my room were unaffected by the quake.

Now, I have moved back to my house, because I want to prioritise my safety.

Panithida Termrungruanglert, 35, Lawyer

I was working on the second floor of my five-story house, when I suddenly felt like I was about to faint. When I looked around and saw the blinds shaking, though, I realised it was an earthquake.

I grabbed my iPad and ran down to the first floor. After that, I got out of the house with my parents.

About ten minutes later, when I was confident that everything had returned to normal, I went back inside and found that nothing in my house had been affected by the quake.

Later that day, I went to my room on the 35th floor of a 46-story condominium building in the heart of Bangkok.

My room was slightly affected. The most damaged rooms were on the 21st and 22nd floors, where water pipes broke, causing floods in the elevator shafts.

The officials from the Department of Public Works inspected the building and confirmed it was safe to live in, but I still did not want to stay there to increase the elevator usage, because most of the elevators were out of service.

The lesson I learned from this incident is that we must remain calm and know how to protect ourselves.

I once saw a video clip about earthquake survival, which suggested sitting close to a table’s legs. That way, when debris falls on the table, there will be space for us to hide. If we hide directly under the table, the whole table could collapse on us.

I also hope that the government will improve the SMS alert system, as people today lack a trusted source of information. Instead, they have to rely on social media, which are often unreliable.

Parameshvar Tangsathaporn, 32, Reporter

When the tremors hit Bangkok, I was in a department store on Srinakarin Road, shopping for fitness clothes.

At first, I felt dizzy and thought it was because I hadn’t eaten enough carbs.

The shop owner asked me if I also felt the tremors. Then, I looked outside and saw people running in panic, that’s when I realised it was an earthquake.

I told the shop owner, who was trying to close the shop, to escape first.

I chose the wrong escape route by using an overpass. It was overcrowded with panicked people and there was only one way down. The only thing I could do was go with the flow.

Some people, however, would stop to record video clips to create content for social media.

There was an event I had to attend that day, then I called a Grab bike to the Anantara Chidlom Hotel.

The roads were packed with crowds of people rushing to get home, causing heavy traffic congestion.

When I arrived at the event, it turned out that I was the only one reporter there.

The others were stuck in traffic or had to walk, because the Skytrain had suspended operations.

That night, a cameraman gave me a ride part of the way home. It took me about two hours to get from Asoke to my home on Srinakarin Road.

I believe that the Thai government should have handled the situation better, as there was no SMS alert to warn people.

I also witnessed people in wheelchairs struggling to move during the chaos.

What I worry about most is people with disabilities, whether they are blind, have mobility issues or are hearing impaired.

If something like this happens again, how will they manage?