According to AFP news agency, on the afternoon of March 28, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, causing serious damage, followed by strong aftershocks and affecting Thailand. The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers struggle through the rubble.

Thai media reported that strong aftershocks caused a 30-story building in the capital Bangkok to collapse, trapping at least 43 workers inside.

Rescue teams are still searching for survivors. The Thai Prime Minister has declared a state of emergency in Bangkok and suspended some metro lines to ensure safety.

In the face of the above situation, the issue of tours and whether it is safe for Vietnamese people to travel to Thailand is one of the issues that many people are concerned about.

Speaking to Dan Tri reporter, Mr. Nguyen Dong Giang, Director of BKT Bangkok Tourist, a unit specializing in providing land tours (a package tour program for customers when registering when visiting a location on the itinerary) for Vietnamese tourists in Thailand, said that there have been no recorded cases of Vietnamese tourists being injured or killed after the earthquake that occurred on the afternoon of March 28.

Currently in Bangkok, Mr. Giang said the most heavily affected areas are high-rise buildings in the inner city.

According to the latest announcement from the local government, all tourist attractions in the capital Bangkok have not been affected. Therefore, groups bringing Vietnamese tourists here to visit have not encountered any problems.

"We have not recorded any casualties among Vietnamese tourists. By the evening of March 28, all tourism activities had almost returned to normal. Only the streets of Bangkok were a bit more congested than usual because workers in high-rise buildings were advised to return home early.

However, the transportation for the Vietnamese delegation still operates safely because it uses a specialized bus," Mr. Giang informed.

Earlier, from 3:00 p.m. the same day, local authorities sent a notice to all residents and tourists to find safe shelter.

Passengers are advised not to use public transport such as the subway or skytrain for the time being. Currently, Bangkok's two major airports are still operating normally.

According to information from Ms. Vu Thi Bich Hue, Head of Communications - Marketing Department of Flamingo Redtours Company - this unit is taking a group of tourists from Pattaya to Bangkok.

At the time of the incident, the group was about 40km from Bangkok, so it was not affected by the earthquake. However, due to traffic congestion in the Thai capital, it is expected that the group will have to have dinner late.

Also during this time, Vietluxtour has 2 groups of Vietnamese tourists traveling to Pattaya, so for now, the tours are not affected.

Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu - Marketing and Communications Director said that the unit continues to closely monitor the group's tour situation and the reality of the destination in the journey to have appropriate and timely guidance in the spirit of "tourist safety is the most important".

Thailand has long been a particularly attractive destination for Vietnamese tourists thanks to its competitive prices, attractive destinations, rich cuisine, and easy shopping. According to statistics from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the total number of Vietnamese visitors to Thailand in 2024 is about 980,000, up to November 2024.

In addition to tours, a large number of Vietnamese tourists to Thailand also travel independently. Not only do they account for a large number of visitors in the ASEAN region, but Vietnam also spends the second highest amount of money when visiting Thailand, after Myanmar.

During this year's Lunar New Year, this country also became a destination chosen by Vietnamese tourists, becoming one of the best-selling foreign tours on the market.

Currently, the price of a land tour in Thailand ranges from 8 to 10 million VND/person for a 5-day, 4-night itinerary to visit Bangkok - Pattaya. Other tours to the northern region such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai have higher prices, from 10 to 13 million VND/person.