Photo: Dasmond Koh/Instagram
Singaporean television host Dasmond Koh (pic) was unexpectedly shaken while visiting Bangkok for work with NoonTalk Media artistes recently.
The 53-year-old co-founder of entertainment agency NoonTalk Media had arrived in Thailand on March 27 for a sportswear label’s launch party. Also attending the event were his artistes, including actress Angel Lin, actors Kevin Tan and Yang Yan, and former Star Search contestant Bryan Kok.
A 7.7-magnitude quake struck central Myanmar on March 28, affecting neighbouring Thailand.
In a post on March 29, Koh said the NoonTalk team had arrived safely home in Singapore, and thanked sportswear brand Asics for taking care of them.
He uploaded a group photo of the team and wrote: “What an experience it has been – never did we expect to feel the tremors of an earthquake (from Myanmar) while in the city.
“To those who’ve faced setbacks or loss because of this incident – our hearts are with you. Please take all the time you need to heal. May strength and comfort find their way to you.
“And to all of us... let this be a gentle reminder: Nothing in life should ever be taken for granted.”
The earthquake has killed at least 1,600 people in Myanmar and at least 17 in Thailand.
Koh told Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao that his team was slated to attend the launch party on March 28 at 6pm. Prior to the event, they were having lunch at a restaurant in lifestyle hub Gaysorn Village when the aftershocks hit Bangkok.
He recalled: “I felt dizzy midway through lunch. The dizziness lasted about five seconds and I didn’t say anything. I thought it was just me, but soon after, everyone was asking, ‘Hey, do you all feel some shaking?’”
Koh then saw a hanging light fixture swaying. The team continued to stay in the restaurant for several minutes, although some other patrons headed out. They eventually left when a South Korean artiste lunching with them suggested that they seek safety outside.
They waited in an open-air area for around 45 minutes.
“Someone told us that the building we were lunching in was very obviously swaying from the outside and that’s when we realised how bad things were,” he said.
They then made their way to a nearby hotel, where staff members were handing out bottles of mineral water. As train services were down and most shops were closed, the team had to walk back to the hotel they were staying at.
This was not the first time that Koh had been caught in the middle of a crisis while overseas for work. He was in Seoul with Yang and Tan in late 2024, when South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol abruptly declared emergency martial law on the night of Dec 3. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
