Successful first day for Thailand’s Cell Broadcast system trial
The first day of Thailand’s Cell Broadcast (CB) system test was successful, delivering emergency alerts to Android and iOS phones in target areas in under one minute.
According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), the CB test conducted on Friday commenced at 12.45pm with a simulated national alert scenario, mimicking a flood situation in selected areas.
The test aimed to rehearse operational procedures in line with the established standard operating procedure (SOP) agreed upon by relevant stakeholders. This included the process where mobile network operators—Advanced Info Services (AIS), True Corporation, and National Telecom (NT)—sent Cell Broadcast alerts to five predetermined areas at 1pm.
Residents within the test zones and nearby areas received audible alerts on their mobile phones, accompanied by automatic on-screen notifications. These alerts mirrored the exact format that would be used in the event of a real emergency.
To prevent confusion and panic, the DDPM issued bilingual messages in Thai and English, stating: “This is a test message from Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM). No action required.”
In order to ensure proper reception of the alerts, the DDPM advised residents to update their smartphone operating systems to the latest version.
The department collected system performance data via an online questionnaire to review the system’s effectiveness and identify any issues encountered. The results will be summarised and analysed in collaboration with all three network providers on May 6.
Following the completion of three trial runs, the DDPM plans to conduct a nationwide system test in the near future. The test schedule is as follows, all beginning at 1pm:
Friday, May 2, 2025 – Small-scale test (indoors):
- Chiang Rai Provincial Hall
- Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Hall
- Suphan Buri Provincial Hall
- Songkhla Provincial Hall
- Government Complex, Buildings A & B, Bangkok
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 – Medium-scale test (district level):
- Mueang district, Lampang province
- Mueang district, Nakhon Sawan province
- Mueang district, Nakhon Ratchasima province
- Mueang district, Surat Thani province
- Din Daeng district, Bangkok
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 – Large-scale test (province-wide):
- Chiang Mai
- Udon Thani
- Ayutthaya
- Nakhon Si Thammarat
- Bangkok
