News | Stories
Structural Observations in Bangkok Following the Myanmar Earthquake
Thornton Tomasetti
On 28 March 2025, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Myanmar, resulting in widespread devastation. Although the epicenter was more than 1,000 kilometers from the Thai capital of Bangkok, the tremors were felt throughout the city prompting concerns about the resilience of its rapidly developing infrastructure. In response, a Thornton Tomasetti forensics team conducted a four-day non-intrusive survey to assess potential structural impacts and evaluate how buildings and critical infrastructure performed under seismic stress.
The Context: A Distant Epicenter, Local Impact
While Myanmar experienced the most severe damage, several neighboring countries—including Thailand—reported tremors. Bangkok, despite its distance from the epicenter, saw the collapse of an under-construction high-rise building. Events like this highlight how seismic energy can affect dense urban environments far beyond fault lines.
Site 1: State Audit Building Collapse
One of the most tragic outcomes occurred at the partially completed State Audit building on Kamphaeng Phet Road, where the collapse claimed at least 62 lives, with more individuals reported missing. Initial investigations are focusing on the quality of steel reinforcement.
Debris from the collapse also struck neighboring buildings, damaging peripheral structural components. We surveyed several nearby structures, including multi-storey malls and commercial complexes, which showed no visible signs of distress attributable to the earthquake.
Site 2: Park Origin Thonglor Complex
This high-rise residential development includes three towers:
- Building A: 39 stories
- Building B: 53 stories
- Building C: 59 stories
The design includes skybridges linking Building A on the 38th floor to B on the 39th floor, and another linking Building B on the 52nd floor to C on the 47th floor. Prior to our visit, several videos posted online showed the buildings swaying heavily causing damage to these bridges. Our survey noted visible damage to the skybridge linking Buildings B and C. It was clear that the top and bottom chords in the end panel of the K-truss system were missing due to connection failures. The damage raises questions about dynamic behavior during seismic excitation—particularly at height.
Infrastructure Performance: A Notable Contrast
In contrast to isolated structural failures, much of Bangkok’s infrastructure appeared to perform well under the conditions. We visited two key metro stations—Phloen Chit and Chit Lom—both constructed with prestressed concrete (PSC) girders supported by T-shaped bents. We observed no microcracking, girder displacement, or unseating at support locations, which are common indicators of seismic distress.
Compared to previous global events such as the 2010 Haiti Earthquake or the 2023 Türkiye Earthquake, Bangkok’s infrastructure demonstrated strong performance, particularly in systems designed with modern construction methods and materials.
Heritage Structures
We visited the Grand Thai Palace, a historical landmark located in the Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok. We observed the iconic Throne Hall and Royal offices from outside and noted there were no visible signs of damage. Having spoken with a few of the tour operators, they confirmed that there was significant ground shaking when the earthquake struck, however no reported damage to any of the structures within the grounds of the Grand Palace.
What This Tells Us About Seismic Risk
This survey contributes to the growing global understanding of how urban environments respond to seismic energy at varying distances from the epicenter. Local soil conditions, construction quality, and design typologies all influence how buildings absorb and react to shaking. Just as importantly, these observations provide valuable lessons for retrofitting, policy development, and future design.
Thornton Tomasetti’s Role in Post-Event Investigations
At Thornton Tomasetti, we work across disciplines with engineers, researchers, and project stakeholders to support post-event investigations, documentation, litigation, and the design of repairs or replacements. We collaborate with property owners, designers, contractors, attorneys, insurers, and manufacturers to resolve structural challenges in buildings and infrastructure around the world.
See more about our Forensics & Investigations Expertise
This survey represents a small part of that mission—contributing technical clarity in moments where facts are still emerging.
Our thoughts remain with all those affected by the Myanmar earthquake. Special thanks to John Abruzzo, Elisabeth Malsch, Tracey Cookson, Anita Asokan, Liling Cao, Kaushik Dutta, Misam Imam, and Vijay Khose for this opportunity, their collaboration and support.
Authored By
