Old Myanmar Road Photo Falsely shared as Thailand quake damage
Image dates back to a 2011 quake in Myanmar’s Shan State
CLAIM
A picture of a cracked road that began circulating online on Friday, March 28, purporting to show damage in the aftermath of a powerful earthquake felt in Thailand, is an old photo of a road damaged by a deadly quake in Myanmar, dating back to 2011.
BACKGROUND
A violent 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar at a depth of 10 kilometres and rocked parts of Thailand and China on March 28.
In Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, dozens of people were missing after a building under construction collapsed when the tremors shook the city.
According to media reports, at least two people were killed, and the death toll was expected to rise as several others were feared trapped under the rubble of the collapsed building.
A state of emergency was declared in Myanmar, but information on damage, casualties or relief efforts was not immediately available. Myanmar has been gripped by conflict since the military seized power in early 2021.
As images emerged on social media showing people fleeing when the earthquake struck, a picture of a cracked road began being reshared online, with social media users describing it as showing damage in Thailand.
X user @ImShiva245 posted the picture saying, “7.3 Earthquake from myanmar felt in chaing mai, Thailand Rimping super market in mae Rim”, which are areas in northern Thailand.
The picture is of low quality, and there are no visible markers to help geolocate it.
METHOD
A Google Lens search pointed to an academic article published in 2017 titled “A Critical Review of Road Failures due to Major Earthquakes in Asian Continent”.
The picture circulating on social media is featured in that article.
The authors credited that picture to a 2011 article published by the digital news outlet International Business Times about a powerful earthquake in Myanmar.
The article was published on March 25, 2011, reporting on a “deadly 6.8-magnitude earthquake” that hit the mountainous area along Myanmar’s borders with Thailand and Laos.
At the time of the reporting, IBT said 74 people were killed and 111 injured, as the earthquake damaged homes, buildings and roads.
IBT credited the picture to Reuters, saying it showed a road in Tarlay, in Myanmar’s Shan State, where the earthquake hit.
Getty Images also published similar pictures from that region in March 2011, saying residents were inspecting large cracks on the roads in the Tarlay township.
According to news reports and seismic activity monitors, including the Asian Disaster Reduction Center, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar near the border with northern Thailand on March 24, 2011.
RATING
A picture of a cracked road purported to show damage in northern Thailand caused by tremors from a violent earthquake in Myanmar on March 28 is an old picture from Myanmar, dating back to March 2011.
SOURCES
X (formerly Twitter) (2025) Available at: @ImShiva245 [Accessed 28 Mar. 2025].
Research Gate (2017). Available at: A Critical Review of Road Failures due to Major Earthquakes in Asian Continent [Accessed 28 Mar. 2025].
International Business Times (2011). Available at: Powerful earthquake hits Myanmar (PHOTOS) [Accessed 28 Mar. 2025].
Getty Images (2011). Available at: Myanmar Earthquake [Accessed 28 Mar. 2025].
Asian Disaster Reduction Center (2011). Available at: Disaster Information [Accessed 28 Mar. 2025].