CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago residents with ties to Thailand are speaking out after a devastating earthquake in Asia.
More information is coming in Friday afternoon, after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
People in Chicago with family in Thailand say the situation there is still dynamic.
It’s surreal to witness.
Never in their lifetimes have they experienced an earthquake of this magnitude.
Search and rescue efforts continue.
“I can’t believe when I heard the news that there was a big earthquake in Thailand,” Royal Thai Consulate-General Katanawadee Kalayanamit said.
Kalayanamit said she woke up to a news alert at 2 a.m., and immediately called her husband and son in Thailand.
“Kalayanamit said her house is located in the same district as the building that collapsed. She mentioned that both her husband and son felt the impact of the incident.
The dramatic video of a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok, collapsing into a cloud of dust, was not far from her home.
The 30-story skyscraper was being built, and dozens of construction workers were trapped.
Rescue crews have been pulling the injured out onto stretchers and searching for anyone trapped underneath.
Kalayanamit’s husband was driving, she says, and got stuck in a traffic jam, as people in panic flooded the streets.
“Everything is fine, but only a traffic jam because people come out of the building and try to go back to their home,” Kalayanamit said.
Her son was in a school building at the time.
“Describing the situation further, Kalayanamit shared that her son was inside a 10-story building when the earthquake hit. Following the event, all buildings, department stores, and the university promptly evacuated everyone, ceasing all activities.
Kalayanamit said the office has been fielding calls all day from people worried for their relatives.
“It just came out of nowhere,” University of Illinois Chicago student Jomphon Vongasvathepchai said.
A Thai student studying at UIC said he felt relieved once he confirmed his family and girlfriend were safe.
“Vongasvathepchai recalled that some people were frightened by the shaking of the building during the earthquake. Additionally, he mentioned that the internet connection was disrupted for around five minutes after the quake subsided before returning to normalcy.”
Knight Chumsangsri said an earthquake this powerful is very uncommon. So, his parents in Thailand were unprepared.
“It’s crazy; you think it will never happen, and people never prepared. That’s the scary part,” Chumsangsri said. “Traffic is crazy in Bangkok because everyone tried to get on the floor and get on the ground, and traffic is jammed everywhere. My friend took almost six hours to get home.”
The quake’s epicenter was in Myanmar.
But, because of ongoing civil conflict in the region, updates there have been scarce.
Authorities are encouraging people to stay alert, with fears of more aftershocks, as the true scale of the damage becomes clearer.
Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
