The cause of the forest fire in Nakhon Ratchasima: It took more than 9 days to extinguish.
The natural disasters occurring today are more severe than those in the past. When a disaster strikes, it is often difficult to respond if there is no early warning, as citizens will not be able to prepare in time. Therefore, the early warning system is crucial. However, despite this importance, Thailand’s early warning system is still not as efficient as it should be. What are the reasons behind this?
Following the severe flooding in 2024, many citizens were significantly affected. Mr. Maitree Jongkraijak, the manager of the Thai Community Foundation, was interviewed about Thailand’s early warning system and mentioned that the country has been late and unclear in notifying the public in disaster-prone areas, despite having a national disaster prevention and mitigation plan in place. One thing that Thailand should have by now is SMS-based disaster alerts. However, government agencies in Thailand still rely on paper notifications, which delay responses and lack efficiency. Moreover, budget constraints are an issue, as there are over 40,000 communities at risk of flooding, but the government allocates enough funds for preparedness in only about 10 communities per year.
Additionally, the director of the Weather Forecast Division of the Thai Meteorological Department revealed that Thailand’s early warning system is limited in terms of data collection. It can provide alerts at the regional level but cannot pinpoint specific districts and villages because not every district has monitoring equipment. In the future, satellite technology should be used to identify locations and fill in the gaps in areas without monitoring tools.
Even though Thailand does not yet have SMS alerts, it does have an app called “Thai Disaster Alert.”
What is the “Thai Disaster Alert” app, and how does it work?
The “Thai Disaster Alert” app is designed to alert users about various types of disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis. It is available for both Android and iOS systems. Users just need to enter their information, select their area, and enable Location Service to receive instant disaster alerts via notifications on their smartphone. However, some users have reported that the app’s notifications are sometimes delayed, and they can’t always hear the alerts if the sound is off. Some people aren’t even aware that the app exists. Nevertheless, having the app is better than nothing, as it provides daily disaster alerts and news. Anyone interested can download it on both Android and iOS.
How do early warning systems work in other countries?
Countries like Japan, which frequently experiences natural disasters, have one of the best public alert systems in the world, called “J-Alert.” This system quickly notifies the public about emergencies and disasters using satellites and equipment installed nationwide.
The United States also has an early warning system called WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts), which sends disaster alerts to mobile phones. Additionally, the Amber Alert system helps track missing children within 24 hours. Many other countries already use public alert systems within their borders.
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Thailand has many warning units, but why are they ineffective?
