On Friday, March 28, a catastrophic 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), followed by a 6.4 aftershock. Tremors were felt in cities, villages, and towns across hundreds of miles in Southeast Asia.
The epicenter was 10 miles northwest of a city called Sagaing and an hour’s drive from Mandalay—Myanmar’s second largest city. A historic hub of culture, with hundreds of temples and a storied landscape, Mandalay is home to 1.6 million people. Damage has been severe and widespread across the nation. Buildings have collapsed, roads are impassable, bridges are inoperable, and hospitals are filled. As of the time of publishing, the death toll had climbed above 3,100 people, with more than 4,000 reported injured. It is estimated that more than 3 million people have been displaced by the quakes, according to U.N. agencies.
The earthquake was also felt in areas of neighboring Bangladesh, India, Laos, China, and Thailand—with Thailand among the countries, aside from Myanmar, hit hardest by the quake. Bangkok suffered a full construction site collapse of a high-rise in the Chatuchak area. TikTok and other social media posts showed cracks in buildings and torrents of water pouring off the city’s rooftop swimming pools.
Myanmar sits on a very active convergence of four tectonic plates: the Eurasian plate, the Indian plate, the Sunda plate, and the Burma microplate. “It’s similar in a lot of ways to the San Andreas fault that separates the Pacific and North American plates in California,” explains Susan Hough, a seismologist at the U.S. Geological Survey.
In times of peace, Myanmar has enchanted visitors with its beautiful ancient temple complexes, like those in Bagan, which is about 100 miles southwest of Mandalay.
Photo by Kentaro Komada/Unsplash
Bangkok is more than 600 miles from the epicenter. However, strong shakes were felt across the metropolis, thanks to the capital city’s uniquely soft soil.
Bangkok is a city “underlain by soft sediments,” Hough says. “It was also in the ‘forward directivity’ direction in this earthquake. The fault break started near Mandalay and continued to the south, focusing energy to the south: i.e., towards Bangkok.”
At the site of the building collapse, rescue teams have been working tirelessly to clear debris and save trapped workers. Supporting nonprofit groups rushed to the scene. Friso Poldervaart, an expat and cofounder of the Bangkok Community Help Foundation—a nonprofit focusing on Bangkok’s underserved communities—was among them.
“The amount of rubble was just enormous, with the remains of the building being as high as 25 meters (75 feet) tall,” he says. “Over 70 people are still missing under the rubble. Setting up immediate aid for the site was done quickly, as we’re experienced with emergency situations.”
His teams supplied food and water to relief workers and gave comfort to panicked onlookers.
“Tremors have been felt during the last days, with multiple evacuations of buildings in Bangkok,” he continues. “Our immediate thoughts and help operations are also with the people in Myanmar.”
Myanmar is one of the world’s poorest nations, and the politics are complicated. It opened slightly to democracy around 2011, but a military coup in 2021 has plunged it back into repression and civil war. Despite this, there has still been a trickle of tourism. There were an estimated 700,000 visitors to Myanmar in 2024, and Mandalay, in particular, has long been a tourist hot spot, drawing visitors for its golden pagodas and temple tours of ancient, spiritual shrines.
Lauren Ellery, deputy director of programs in Myanmar for the International Rescue Committee, told the Associated Press, “We’re really not clear on the scale of the destruction at this stage. They were talking about a town near Mandalay where 80 percent of the buildings [had] reportedly collapsed, but it wasn’t in the news, because telecommunications have been slow.”
As for Bangkok, public transport, rail, and skytrains are fully functioning. All airports have been inspected and reopened. Government-run tourist sites and shopping malls are open, and most hotels are operational, but a few are closed or closed in sections for safety inspections and/or minor cosmetic repairs. If you have an upcoming hotel booking, be sure to contact the property and verify that it is still open and welcoming guests.
To stay up to date on the latest conditions in Bangkok, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is a great resource for visitors.
How travelers can help
Several organizations are working to help the communities affected by the earthquake and aftershocks.
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee is a New York–based nonprofit group that helps people around the world affected by humanitarian crises. It is currently assisting those on the ground in Myanmar to get urgent medical care, clean drinking water, tents, food, and other basic supplies.
UNICEF USA
UNICEF USA is a top-rated global charity with a focus on supporting children in need throughout the world. The organization is currently in Myanmar providing emergency support for youth and families, including health kits, medical supplies, tents, and personal hygiene items such as soap, sanitary pads, and disinfectant.
The U.N. Refugee Agency
The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is an international aid group that aims to protect refugees who are forced to flee their homes due to conflict and persecution. In Myanmar, UNHCR is currently working to help those who have lost their homes, loved ones, and communities by providing emergency shelter, essential items, and protection.
