Singaporeans in Bangkok describe scenes of chaos, panic during quake

They experienced buildings swaying and joined people rushing to open areas

- Eileen Ng and Vihanya Rakshika

When a ceiling pane shattered and crashed to the ground, Singaporean Erica Liu instinctively ducked under a table with several Thai colleagues, shielding herself from the debris.

The deafening noise around her sounded like relentless drilling, but within moments, a voice cut through the chaos: "It is an earthquake! Evacuate now!"

Grabbing a stranger's hand, the 41-year-old IT specialist sprinted down the stairs from the 16th floor towards open space as tremors rocked Bangkok, where her office building was located.

Singaporeans in the Thai capital of Bangkok said they rushed out of high-rise buildings after feeling tremors following a powerful earthquake in neighbouring Myanmar on March 28.

They recounted to The Straits Times scenes of people running to open areas, swaying buildings and metro services being suspended, with long queues forming at bus and taxi stands.

Ms Irene Yap was just finishing lunch at a restaurant in the MBK Centre shopping mall with her sister and niece on a holiday trip when she felt the tremors and saw the eatery sway.

"We initially wondered what it was, because we have never felt it in Singapore.

"But after the first sway, I said we have to get out," the 67-year-old retiree said, adding that this was her first time experiencing tremors, which she described as "terrifying".