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Thousands of people fled to higher ground on Thailand's southern Andaman Sea coast after a large earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered fears of another killer tsunami.
"Many people along the west coast ... must be extremely careful," said Samith Dhammasaroj, a senior Thai official charged with setting up a tsunami warning system after more than 5,300 people, including 1,953 foreigners, were killed when giant waves struck six southern provinces in Thailand on December 26.
"Please evacuate to higher places now. There is a strong chance of another tsunami," Samith told Bangkok's FM 100 radio station.
Authorities issued evacuation orders in the six provinces, including the premier tourist island of Phuket which has struggled to lure visitors back despite a massive marketing blitz and cheap room deals.
"About 3,000 to 4,000 tourists and locals have been evacuated from Patong and Kamala beaches to higher places," Phuket deputy governor Wichai Buapradit told Reuters.
"We've told them to take their valuable belongings and to go to higher places," he added.
There were no reports of a tsunami after the 8.7 magnitude quake off the coast of northern Sumatra. A US expert said the quake was likely to have directed any tsunami waves south and away from southern Thailand.
On Phuket, the 13 km (8 mile) route inland from Patong beach to Phuket town was jammed as foreign tourists and Thais crammed into vehicles and rushed to higher ground.
Suchada, a mother of two, told the Bangkok radio station she had fled Karon beach in Phuket after her friend heard a tsunami might be coming.
"There are hundreds of people staying on the hill and more and more vehicles are driving up here," she said.
There were no official reports of casualties or major damage, but the tremors also caused panic in the southern town of Hat Yai in the province of Yala, near Thailand's border with Malaysia.
"I can't stand this. Nobody knows what to do or where to go," Thanong, who was staying at a Hat Yai hotel when the tremors hit told the radio station. "No one dares to go back to their hotel room and sleep."
