Prayut orders all state agencies to be ready to deal with new threats, emergencies
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered all state agencies to be ready for crises and has put the National Security Council in charge of the job, deputy government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek said on Friday.
Though some training has had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the authorities have held three national crisis-management exercises, namely:
• Training in disaster management related to smog and forest fires in Chiang Mai province.
• Training in the preservation of national marine resources.
• Training on tackling terrorism.
Agencies were tested on their response plan to identify strengths and weaknesses, as well as building knowledge and understanding of disaster management mechanisms and processes before and after the incident as well as at the scene. The training also focused on the rehabilitation and restoration of communities or areas after solving the problem.
Future training sessions will address problems, obstacles and experience gained from previous training stints. They may also include dealing with emerging diseases as well as prevention and suppression of the smuggling of weapons of mass destruction by land or water. This should make Thailand ready to respond to new threats as they arise.
