Don’t panic! Nationwide Cell Broadcast test on January 20 at 2pm
On January 20 at 2pm, DDPM will conduct a nationwide Cell Broadcast test across all 76 provinces and Bangkok. The test will send an automatic 8-second message.
Teerapat Kachamat, Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), announced that the department, in collaboration with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and mobile network providers, has developed a Cell Broadcast alert system. This system is designed to send emergency notifications via mobile phones.
The system has undergone several tests in 2025, covering small (building-level) to large (province-level) areas. The first test took place on May 2, 2025, for small areas, followed by medium-sized areas on May 7 and larger areas on May 13.
This alert system will be used in real emergencies, including floods, security incidents, and environmental threats such as PM2.5 air pollution.
On January 20, 2026, at 2pm, DDPM will conduct a nationwide test of this system, sending a test alert to mobile phones across all 76 provinces, including Bangkok. The test message will be a national alert, designed to warn people about large-scale disasters with widespread effects.
The test will send an automatic message of about eight seconds, and the alert will still appear even if the phone is on silent, locked, or in vibration mode.
The message will read: "This is a test message from Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), not real situation. No action required."
For the alert to work, mobile phones must support Cell Broadcast and have iOS version 18 or higher, or Android version 11 or higher.
DDPM asks the public to remain calm, as this is just a system test, not an actual emergency. There is no need for any action, and the alert will disappear automatically. The test message will not include any links and will only come from the name DDPM.
