BANGKOK, Thailand – Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered a streamlined disaster alert process after revealing she has yet to receive an earthquake warning SMS. The new protocol allows direct communication from the Meteorological Department to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) and mobile networks, bypassing the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), ahead of the full rollout of Cell Broadcast alerts in July.
During a meeting on SMS alert system issues, the Prime Minister asked journalists whether they had received any test warning messages. Reporters responded that no alerts had been received since the recent earthquake, to which she agreed, stating she had also received none. She noted that only Android devices currently receive alerts, while efforts are ongoing to integrate iOS devices.
The meeting, attended by officials from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, NBTC, DDPM, and mobile network providers, reviewed gaps in the current system. The key takeaway was that the full Cell Broadcast system is expected in July. Until then, immediate improvements will be made in two phases.
The first change involves modifying the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to allow instant message transmission after receiving data from the Meteorological Department. The DDPM will no longer analyze messages but will send pre-formatted alerts within an hour. During the interim period before full Cell Broadcast implementation, a virtual Cell Broadcast system will be used for Android users, covering 70 million numbers. iOS users, totaling 50 million, will receive alerts via SMS while negotiations continue with Apple to enable temporary virtual Cell Broadcast functionality.
The Prime Minister emphasized that SMS and Cell Broadcast alerts are just one method of disaster communication. Other platforms, including LINE, Facebook, and emergency television broadcasts, will also be used to inform the public. Additionally, major media outlets will be involved in distributing alerts.
She highlighted that once fully implemented, Cell Broadcast alerts will provide immediate warnings with loud, unavoidable notifications, similar to alert systems in other countries. These warnings will apply to major disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and severe storms.
Notably, while waiting for the press conference to begin, some journalists received test messages from the Cell Broadcast system, indicating ongoing progress.
