PUBLISHED: 29 Mar 2025 at 19:44
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has emphasized the need for faster and more informative SMS alerts following the recent earthquake that originated from Myanmar. During a meeting with state agencies, she highlighted the importance of timely communication after the 7.7-magnitude quake, which occurred on Friday.
According to the Prime Minister, immediate confirmation of the earthquake’s occurrence and guidance on safety measures were crucial for the public following the incident.
In response, the director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation disclosed that the first alert was sent to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission for distribution shortly after the quake. However, the information relayed was deemed inadequate, and there were substantial delays in reaching the affected population.
Trairat Wiriyasirikul, acting secretary-general of the NBTC, informed that approximately 10 million mobile numbers received the alert in batches at a controlled rate, which contributed to the delays noted by the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister instructed the agencies to improve their systems to allow faster dissemination of alerts, aiming to raise the recipient limit from 200,000 to 1 million per broadcast. Meanwhile, the full implementation of the NBTC’s new cell broadcast technology is anticipated by mid-year.
Another significant concern raised was the necessity to provide earthquake alerts in English for foreign nationals utilizing local SIM cards. The Prime Minister insists that both the NBTC and DDPM collaborate closely to rectify these issues and provide a comprehensive report, as the public deserves clarity on the timing and effectiveness of emergency alerts.
Despite communications issues, rail transport services resumed operations on Saturday, with the exception of select monorail lines, which required additional safety inspections.
