The Myanmar Seismological Department said the quake struck 355 kilometres (220 miles) north of Yangon, with its epicentre near the town of Meiktila.

Residents of Meiktila and surrounding towns felt the tremors but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, it said.

Thailand's meteorological department said high-rise buildings in Bangkok and in the northern city of Chiang Mai were shaken by the temblor which struck at 1.16 am (1816 GMT Sunday).

"So far no damage or casualties have been reported (in Thailand), which may be because the epicenter of the quake is more than 1,200 kilometresmiles) from Bangkok," spokesman Aoathai Panya told AFP in Bangkok.

But in Chiang Mai, which forms one corner of the fabled "Golden Triangle" opium-growing region, local radio reported that tourists in high-rise hotels rushed to the ground floor when they felt the tremors.

France's seismic observatory in Strasbourg measured the earthquake at 6.8 on the Richter scale and said it hit about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Meiktila, a town of some 129,000 inhabitants.

A quake measuring 5.0 and upwards on the Richter scale can cause considerable damage in built up and populated areas.

TERRA.WIRE