The Foreign Affairs Ministry has activated emergency contact channels for Thai citizens in Japan following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday.
The epicentre was located in Hikawa City, with tremors felt across wide areas including Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Miyazaki, Oita, and Yamaguchi.
The ministry spokeswoman, Jaithai Upakarnitikaset, who is also director-general of the Department of Information, said the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Fukuoka reported widespread damage in the affected areas.
Public services and infrastructure were disrupted, including suspension of train and high-speed rail services, closure of Kumamoto Airport, and temporary outages of electricity, water, and gas supplies.
Some 455 Thai nationals live in Kumamoto. The consulate has contacted the Thai community and confirmed all are safe, though some have temporarily relocated to local shelters as advised by Japanese authorities. Others are experiencing short-term utility disruptions but remain unharmed.
No serious impact has been reported among Thai citizens in other prefectures where tremors were felt. Authorities added that the situation is being closely monitored, with consular staff coordinating support for Thai nationals. For assistance, Thai nationals in Japan can reach the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Fukuoka directly.
