Thai Disaster Agency to Test Cell Broadcast Alert System

BANGKOK, April 24 (TNA) - The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has announced the first public tests of its Cell Broadcast emergency alert system, in collaboration with six other agencies, scheduled for May 2, 7, and 13, 2025. 

These tests aim to ensure the system's reliability before full implementation. Director-General Phaskorn Boonyalak detailed a three-tiered testing approach, starting with small-scale in-building tests in five locations on May 2, followed by mid-scale district-level tests in five areas on May 7, and culminating in large-scale province-level tests across five provinces, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Udon Thani, Ayutthaya and Nakhon Si Thammarat on May 13.

During the tests, people in the specified zones will automatically receive a loud alert and a notification message in both Thai and English, simulating a real emergency. The DDPM clarified that this is purely a system test and urged the public not to panic upon receiving these alerts.

The agency also highlighted the system's limitations, noting that Cell Broadcast will only function on 4G and 5G phones with specific updated operating systems (Android 11+ and iOS 18). 

To address this, the DDPM will use SMS alerts for users with older 2G and 3G phones or iPhones that cannot be updated. The DDPM will coordinate with mobile operators to send these SMS notifications to ensure wider coverage. -819 (TNA)