In central Bangkok, throngs of panicked residents ran outside when the earthquake hit. Afterward, sidewalks, plazas and sidewalks were packed with crowds of office workers, shopkeepers and tourists who remained outside for fear of aftershocks and structural damage to the buildings.
Videos posted on social media, and confirmed by The New York Times, showed one building that had been under construction collapsing. At least three people were killed and dozens of construction workers remained stuck in the rubble, according to the authorities.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra of Thailand declared Bangkok an “area of emergency,” asking residents to evacuate from tall buildings in case of aftershocks.
Other videos showed water sloshing out of the rooftop swimming pool of a high-rise hotel and spilling down the side of the building.
The city’s elevated train, known as the Skytrain, was shut down and traffic on the city’s major arteries came to a virtual standstill as people tried to return home.
Office towers, shopping malls and hotels evacuated their employees and guests while they conducted inspections to determine whether there had been damage before allowing them back inside.
Pam Kershaw and her husband, tourists from Melbourne, Australia, were in their room on the 25th floor of the Athenee Hotel when the earthquake struck. The room began swaying and pictures banged against the walls.
“It was very scary,” she said as she sat outside the hotel with hundreds of others waiting to go back inside.
Muktita Suhartono and Sui-Lee Wee contributed reporting from Bangkok.