Rarely do I need to update a blog post before I upload it, but with the 7.7 earthquake in neighboring Myanmar at 12:50 PM local time yesterday, I wanted to update everyone regarding our experience. Fortunately, we missed the first shaking and then the 6.2 aftershock because our Uzbekistan Airlines flight departed four hours earlier 08:30 AM. We were lucky to get out when we did. All trains and flights were cancelled for the day, and I can imagine the chaos that was caused at the airport and in hotels with the most international visitors (32.7 million annually). Because Bangkok lies on a flood plain with shifty soils, they are susceptible to earthquakes with epicenters outside of the city. One skyscraper under construction collapsed, and rooftop pools were spilling over. 32 people died in Thailand, with hundreds reported missing. We were staying at the Shangri-La Hotel and our room was on the 19th floor, so we probably would have felt it. We toured a temple the day before and spent the afternoon in the IconSiam shopping mall.
We had a relaxing evening in the hotel. Nadia and I worked out in the hotel’s gym and had a famous, couples massage at the spa. We then ordered room service and enjoyed the views of the Chao Phraya River from our room. I went for a short walk and took a few photos of the city blocks near the hotel.
The flight was uneventful, and we were fortunate to have many empty seats in the back of the plane. All three of us were able to sleep for most of the 6 hours. We rested at home yesterday and got used to the cooler temperatures.
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