A shallow magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit northwestern Laos near the Thai border early; I felt it at about 6:50 as I was sat at my computer in Ban Dung although no damage was done .

The shaking could be felt more than 700 kilometers (435 miles) away in the Thai capital Bangkok.

“The shaking … was the main shock from a quake in Laos at 6:50am and was felt in northern and northeastern Thailand and Bangkok and suburbs,” said Sophon Chaila, an official at the Thai Meteorological Department.