Thai Meteorological Department debunks rumour of 6.5 quake in Thailand, says Malaysia tremor has no impact
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) says there has been no magnitude 6.5 earthquake in Thailand, countering online rumours. It also noted that a deep 7.1 quake reported near Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, is unlikely to cause a tsunami, while a separate 3.7 quake was recorded in Vietnam.
Following reports that on February 23, 2026 at 00:14, the Thai Meteorological Department’s Earthquake Observation Division recorded an earthquake of magnitude 3.7 at a depth of 10 kilometres within Vietnam (14.95°N, 107.67°E), with the epicentre about 304 kilometres south-east of Mueang district, Ubon Ratchathani province.
The Thai Meteorological Department has now clarified that there has been no major earthquake of magnitude 6.5 with an epicentre in Thailand, as claimed in rumours. The department urged the public to rely only on information from the Earthquake Observation Division.
Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that at 00:57 today (February 23), a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck with its epicentre less than 100 kilometres north-east of Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, a coastal state of Malaysia, at a depth of 619.8 kilometres.
However, the USGS assessed the likelihood of damage or fatalities as low. The US Tsunami Warning Center did not issue any tsunami alert, stating that an earthquake at this depth is not expected to generate a tsunami.
