magnitude quake struck Chiang Rai province at 6.08 p.m. Monday night, causing extensive damage to properties in the northern provinces.
The earthquake with its epi-center in Phan distric at the depth of 10 kilometers was felt by people living on high-rise buildings in Bangkok with many of them reporting objects falling from shelves and people and tourists in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces running out to the streets from hotels.
Authorities warn people in the earthquake areas to stay in safe places as there might be aftershocks in one or two days.
The National Disaster Warning Center will keep providing updates on the situation
Heavy damages were reported in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.
Many roads, such as the Mae Lao – Mae Sruai highway, suffered major damage and many homes developed cracks as a result of the quake. Authorities are in the midst of assessing the extent of the damage caused by the quake.
Residents in Chiang Mai said the tremor was felt for around two to three minutes.
Group Captain Somsak Khaosuwan, the director of the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC), stated that Monday’s earth quake was the largest ever recorded in Thailand.
He also warned that people living in or close to the Phan district fault line as well as residents in the north to be extra careful and be ready for possible after-shocks which may occur in the next one to two days.