French tourist Augustin Gus was shopping for a t-shirt in one of Bangkok’s many malls when a massive quake began shaking the building in the Thai capital.
“Just when I left the elevator, the earth starts moving. I thought it was me… it was not me,” the 23-year-old told AFP. “Everyone was screaming and running, so I started screaming as well.”
The powerful 7.7-magnitude quake struck on Friday afternoon in neighbouring Myanmar, where over 1,600 people have been killed and several cities face large-scale destruction.
The damage and toll was far smaller in Bangkok, with 10 people confirmed dead so far, most in the collapse of an under-construction skyscraper.
For many tourists who flocked to the popular destination, the quake was a disconcerting experience.
Some were lazing in rooftop pools when the powerful shaking began to slop the water off the edge of high-rise buildings.
Others were left stranded in the streets with their luggage when the city’s metro and light-rail system shut down for safety checks after the quake.
The city’s residents, unused to earthquakes, were not able to offer much guidance, said one business traveller from the Solomon Islands, who asked not to be named.
“Unfortunately there were no procedures in place” during his evacuation from the 21st floor of a Bangkok skyscraper on Friday. “So everyone was getting confused,” he said. “I just wanted to get out.”
Cristina Mangion, 31, from Malta, was in her hotel bed when the shaking began. “I thought I was feeling dizzy from the heat,” she told AFP.
Hotel staff came to knock at the doors of each room to offer help, and Mangion’s father quickly messaged to check she was okay.
Soldiering on
Despite the experience Mangion and Gus were among the tourists out on Saturday at the sprawling Chatuchak market.
The popular tourist draw is not far from the scene of the deadly building collapse, and market security guard Yim Songtakob said crowds were thinner than usual.
“That’s normal… people are scared,” said the 55-year-old, who has worked at the market for a decade.
Still, Mangion said she would not be deterred by the tremors. “I feel bad for what happened,” she said.
“I think the best thing is to actually come here and… really help the locals with their business anyway because this weekend will probably be harder than usual for business.”
Gus also said he was not worried about enjoying the rest of his three-week trip.
“I’ll still have great memories, it’s just an experience and that’s why I’m travelling,” he said.
Frenchman Gilles Franke, a regular visitor to Thailand who hopes to one day retire in the country, was equally sanguine about the risk of aftershocks. “When it’s your time, it’s your time,” the 59-year-old told AFP.
“You can die when you cross the road, you can die at any time in your life.”
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