DDPM conducts nationwide cell broadcast alert test to boost disaster readiness

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE), the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), and network providers National Telecom Public Company Limited, True Corporation Public Company Limited and Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited, conducted a nationwide test of the disaster alert system via mobile phone signals (Cell Broadcast) on Tuesday.

Unsit Sampuntharat, Permanent Secretary for the Interior Ministry, said disasters today are more severe and complex than in the past. Establishing mechanisms to mitigate and avoid impacts through cell broadcast alerts is therefore a system that can deliver warnings to the public quickly and widely.

He said that today (January 20, 2026), DDPM and relevant agencies carried out a nationwide cell broadcast test across designated areas throughout the country. In 2025, the system was tested three times at different scales: small (building-level), medium (district-level), and large (provincial-level). It was first used operationally to warn of flooding in Loei province on May 27, 2025, and has since been used in multiple situations, including floods in the North and South, security incidents linked to the Thai-Cambodian border, PM2.5 fine dust, and road accidents.

For today’s nationwide test, the agencies sent an alert to the public’s mobile phones in the form of a National Alert, used for major disasters that are severe and affect multiple areas. The test covered all 76 provinces and Bangkok, with people receiving the test alert simultaneously at 2.00pm, as scheduled.

Recipients received a Thai message: “ทดสอบแจ้งเตือนภัย ไม่ใช่สถานการณ์จริง จากกรมป้องกันและบรรเทาสาธารณภัย (ปภ.) โปรดอย่าตื่นตระหนก” and an English message: “This is a test message from Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), not real situation. No action required.”

Unsit said the nationwide test confirms the system’s readiness and that it will be an important tool to help Thailand issue warnings effectively. He said it is a positive sign of preparedness across government systems and the public’s receiving devices, helping build confidence that, if a large-scale disaster occurs, the alert service will enable people to prepare, respond and significantly reduce damage.

He added that test results showed people in various areas received the alert and message comprehensively within no more than 10 seconds, which he described as satisfactory. DDPM will compile the results and report them to the Cabinet, so they can be analysed and used to further improve public warning services.

Teerapat Katchamat, Director-General of DDPM, said DDPM and relevant agencies have jointly developed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for sending alerts through the Cell Broadcast Service (CBS), as well as standards for alert messages under the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP). The system provides warnings across 14 hazard categories: earthquakes, tsunamis, windstorms (tropical cyclones), floods, mudslides, cold weather, PM2.5 fine dust, violent incidents in public areas, human epidemics, fires, chemical and hazardous materials incidents, cyber threats, traffic and transport incidents, and armed conflict. He said the system will continue to be developed to better match local risk contexts.

Teerapat said that while today’s results were satisfactory, another key task will run in parallel: communicating with the public and raising awareness of the importance of disaster alerts, and the need to follow warnings and advice. He said the effectiveness of alerts ultimately depends on public cooperation—responding and complying for safety—so that people are better prepared, safer, and able to reduce losses and damage, and do not panic when they receive official alerts for different types of hazards.