On March 28, 2023, at 1:25 PM, an 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar, with tremors felt across Thailand, particularly in Bangkok and surrounding provinces.

The seismic event prompted a heightened response from the public, leading to substantial increases in voice call traffic and mobile data usage.

In the immediate aftermath of the quake, there was a notable spike in voice calls.

True customers made 8.89 million calls on March 28, reflecting a 465% increase from the previous day’s figure of 1.57 million calls during the same timeframe.

The peak in calling activity occurred at 1:33 PM, when calls surged by 672%.

Similarly, dtac customers reported making 17.23 million calls on March 28, up 545% from 2.67 million calls on March 27, with a sharp peak of 1,061% increase observed at 1:32 PM. The data indicated that calls made within the same network rose by 65%, while cross-network calls saw an increase of 121%.

Geographically, Bangkok recorded the highest surge in communication, with True customers’ calls rising by 1,171% and dtac customers’ calls increasing by 1,983%.

Other regions in the West and South of Thailand also experienced significant increases in call volume.

Most buildings in Bangkok withstood the tremors; however, the State Audit Office, which is still under construction in the Chatuchak district, reported some structural issues.

Authorities have confirmed the resilience of infrastructure in the capital amidst the seismic activity.