On May 17, Ms. Traisulee Traisoranakul, Secretary to the Minister of Interior and spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, stated that the Ministry, through the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), is currently accelerating the development of an emergency alert system via mobile phone signals (Cell Broadcast). This follows the directive from Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra issued on April 25. The Cell Broadcast system is expected to be officially launched in July.
The Cell Broadcast alert system sends emergency messages directly to mobile phones of people in disaster-prone areas, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, windstorms, tropical cyclones, landslides, floods, cold weather, and PM2.5 pollution. It requires no additional app download. Alerts will be delivered via text and sound, making them accessible to both visually and hearing-impaired individuals.
Ms. Traisulee further explained that in recent efforts, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, in his role as National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Commander, approved a collaboration between DDPM, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), the Public Relations Department, and three mobile network providers. They tested the Cell Broadcast system in three alert levels across four regions, covering 15 locations.
The small-scale test (building-level) was conducted on May 2 at 1 PM at provincial halls in Chiang Rai, Suphan Buri, Ubon Ratchathani, Songkhla, and at Government Complex Chaeng Watthana (Buildings A and B) in Bangkok.
The medium-scale test (district-level) took place on May 7 at 1 PM in Mueang districts of Lampang, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Ratchasima, Surat Thani, and Din Daeng District in Bangkok.
The large-scale test (province-level) occurred on May 13 at 1 PM in Chiang Mai, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Udon Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Bangkok.
Ms. Traisulee added that a Cell Broadcast Entity, the unit responsible for generating alert messages to connect with the mobile operators' Cell Broadcast Centers, will be installed and ready before the official launch in July. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior is promoting awareness of the system among government agencies and the public to ensure familiarity and prevent panic when alerts are received.