Influencer Jianhao Tan carries daughter down 21 storeys in Thai hotel after Myanmar earthquake
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Jianhao Tan and his family followed other guests in evacuating from the hotel even though they were not certain of what was happening.
PHOTOS: THEJIANHAOTAN/INSTAGRAM
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SINGAPORE – Local influencer Jianhao Tan and his family were on vacation in the Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok hotel when the earthquake in Myanmar on March 28 sent tremors across the Thai capital.
“Experiencing a 7.7-magnitude earthquake
He uploaded a 25-second video of him carrying his five-year-old daughter Starley while running down the stairs of the hotel.
He also posted a photo of himself with his wife, local influencer Debbie Soon, 27, and their only child outside the hotel, and another photo of a worried Soon with Starley.
Tan told Chinese-language evening daily Shin Min Daily News on March 29 that his family had originally planned to return to Singapore after holidaying in Japan. They decided to extend their trip and went to Bangkok as Starley still “wanted to play”.
Tan recalled the chandelier and clothes hangers in the hotel room shaking violently when the tremors were felt, and he also heard people shouting outside the room.
“We originally wanted to hide under the table in the room, but we were worried about aftershocks,” he told Shin Min. “We were afraid that no one would come to our rescue if we were trapped upstairs.”
He and his family followed other guests in evacuating from the hotel even though they were not certain what was happening.
“We were scared but, fortunately, no one was injured,” he said. “The most terrifying thing was the process of going downstairs, as it was an enclosed space and there were people constantly screaming around us.”
Tan learnt later that an earthquake had taken place, and hotel guests were not allowed to return to the hotel to pack their luggage as the hotel staff were concerned about aftershocks. Tan and his family waited for two hours before they were allowed to return to their rooms.
He said they flew back to Singapore that night. There was heavy traffic on the way to the airport and the ride took four hours instead of the usual 1½ hours.
