E-Paper
'When it's your time, it's your time': Tourists recall chaos of earthquake striking Bangkok
For many tourists in Bangkok, the earthquake disrupted their peaceful activities, quickly turning moments of leisure into panic and fear.
As a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday afternoon, its tremors reverberated through Bangkok, leaving locals and tourists alike shaken.
French tourist Augustin Gus was shopping for a t-shirt when the ground beneath him started to shake.
“Just when I left the elevator, the earth started moving. I thought it was me... it was not me,” the 23-year-old told AFP, as chaos unfolded around him.
For many tourists visiting the bustling city, the earthquake was an unsettling experience that quickly turned their leisurely activities into moments of panic.
Some were enjoying the luxury of rooftop pools, only for the powerful tremors to send waves sloshing over the edges of high-rise buildings, adding an unexpected thrill to their day.
Others found themselves stranded in the streets, their luggage in tow, as the city’s metro and light-rail systems came to a sudden halt for safety checks following the quake.
What was supposed to be a relaxed holiday took a sharp turn into uncertainty, as tourists navigated the unfamiliar chaos of an earthquake in a city unaccustomed to such tremors.
Cristina Mangion, 31, from Malta, was in her hotel bed when the shaking began. “I thought I was feeling dizzy from the heat,” AFP quoted her as saying.
Also read: Myanmar earthquake: Pool water from high-rise, skyscrapers in Thailand, China empty down on roads
Frenchman Gilles Franke, a frequent visitor to Thailand who dreams of retiring there, remained calm about the potential for aftershocks.
The 59-year-old told AFP, “When it's your time, it's your time. You can die when you cross the road, you can die at any time in your life.”
Bharati Khurana shared with ANI that the sudden closure of all commercial spaces left them stranded without taxis to the airport.
“The situation has improved now, but yesterday was difficult. We went to the market, but it was shut due to the emergency. We faced a lot of trouble and couldn't find a taxi. Even emergency vehicles were unavailable, and we struggled to get a ride to the airport,” the tourist said at Delhi airport.
Pranav, another Indian tourist who went to Bangkok, remembered how everyone started running when the hotel they were in began to shake violently.
“When we were inside the building, the entire building shook, and then everyone ran away. We sat for at least two hours in that situation. We were on the 24th floor of the Prince Pace hotel when the building started shaking violently,” he told ANI.
With AFP, ANI inputs
