370 million baht approved for disaster warning system upgrade
The Thai Cabinet approved a budget of 370 million baht for the development of natural disaster warning systems, or early warning systems (EWS).
The recent earthquake in Myanmar was a first-time experience for many Thai citizens. The incident sparked concerns about the public’s lack of knowledge regarding how to stay safe during a natural disaster and how to protect themselves effectively.
In addition to the lack of necessary awareness, the Myanmar earthquake also prompted public criticism of Thailand’s EWS. Only a limited number of people received SMS messages suggesting how to prepare for potential aftershocks several hours later.
However, many recipients found these messages unhelpful, as they had already sought information online and received advice through messages from private companies.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission later revealed that the EWS had been launched last year and was operational.
However, the system was only capable of sending SMS messages to 100,000 to 200,000 phone numbers at a time, with each batch taking 15 minutes to be delivered.
This inefficiency sparked public outrage and demands for a more effective security system from the government.
As a result, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment submitted a budget request for the development of the alert system during the most recent Cabinet meeting. Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra approved the request, allocating 370 million baht to the initiative.
The budget will support the monitoring and prevention of various disasters, including earthquakes and landslides. It will be used to procure tools and technologies to monitor, prevent, and detect geological faults that could potentially cause earthquakes.
According to Deputy Government Spokesperson Anukul Prueksanusak, the budget will be divided into three key projects:
- Installation of 120 rock mass movement monitoring devices (310.84 million baht)
- Development of digital information systems for landslides (40.35 million baht)
- Strengthening the efficiency of landslide disaster preparedness in cooperation with partner organisations (19.19 million baht)
Some netizens have expressed hope regarding the system’s development, while others have begun to question the transparency of the budget’s allocation.
There have been calls for the Cabinet to prioritise compensation for families affected by the Myanmar earthquake before initiating new projects.
Photo via Facebook/ กรุงเทพมหานครThe Thai public were quick to comment.
“Before approving the budget for the warning system, the government should compensate the families of the earthquake victims first.”
“Corruption is coming.”
“NY suspects found in the collapsed building?”
“70 million baht spent on the project, but the remaining 300 million will be lost to corruption.”
“It didn’t work during the real incident, believe me. The project was launched just for corruption.”
“When is it going to be finished?”
In an update on the rescue mission at the collapsed building in Bangkok, rescuers found 21 lifeless bodies at the scene.
Government officials suspect that a further 20 to 30 bodies remain trapped beneath the debris.
Latest Thailand News
