Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
- Thailand News
Hat Yai on high alert: Red zone declared amid flood threat
Hat Yai has been declared a red zone as the risk of severe flooding looms, with local officials urging residents to brace for potential evacuations. Hat Yai Mayor Sakhon Thongmunee announced the warning this morning, citing a surge of water flowing into the U-Tapao and Wa canals, which cut through Songkhla’s bustling district. “Overflows from these canals could inundate downtown…
- Phuket News
Phuket teleconference reviews disaster plan for southern provinces
Royal Volunteer Command Center Region 4 held a teleconference yesterday with representatives from 14 southern provinces to review the 2015 National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Plan. The meeting, chaired by Major General Anusorn Ourai, Deputy Commander of Army Area 4 and Deputy Director of the Royal Volunteer Command Center Region 4, aimed to improve coordination and ensure systematic disaster relief…
- Thailand News
Thai minister ready to battle over funding for Russian helicopter
Thai Interior Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, is set to challenge the parliamentary subcommittee’s refusal to approve funding for a new Russian-made helicopter. The helicopter is intended to augment the capabilities of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), particularly in dealing with the country’s increasing wildfires and haze pollution. The subcommittee, tasked with scrutinising the fiscal budget for 2024, had…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s DDPM reveals total traffic accident results of ‘Seven Deadly Days’
Thai officials have now revealed the results of traffic accidents from April 11 to 17. This period is known as the “Seven Deadly Days” of the Songkran Festival. Data from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) revealed that there were 2,203 road accidents, 2,208 injuries, and 264 deaths during this period. On April 17, the last day of…
- Phuket News
Earthquake hits Phang Nga
Although Thailand doesn’t experience catastrophic earthquakes like those that have hit Turkey and Syria, there are occasional tremours in the region. Yesterday afternoon, the southern province of Phang Nga was rocked by a 3.7 magnitude earthquake, following two others around the country in the wee hours. The earthquake shook the Thana subdistrict in Kapong district, Phang Nga province. The trembler was…
- Road deaths
Phuket focuses on foreigners causing motorbike accidents
As Thailand sees the tail end of the dreaded “Seven Days of Danger” where road accidents and death tend to spike over the new year holiday, officials in Phuket are focusing on the number of accidents involving foreigners on their roads. At this morning’s daily briefing at the Phuket Provincial Hall, officials said that foreigners on holiday renting motorbikes and…
- Road deaths
Screening for drunk driving to reduce new year holiday road deaths
Drunk driving is a fairly constant problem in Thailand, like many other places worldwide. It’s so prevalent during the holiday season, that Phuket holds an annual road safety campaign known as ‘Seven Days of Danger.’ The campaign is held around the new year holiday from December 29 to January 4. The government announced new strict screening of drivers over the…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Many areas of Phuket flooded, roads blocked
Phuket has been rocked with nonstop overnight rain, leaving many areas of the island flooded. Roads are underwater – including the popular party district Bangla Road in Patong. Phuket Town is flooded, and muddy landslides have closed roads in Kamala. People in affected areas are being assisted by rescue services while police have been dispatched to direct traffic on major…
- Environment News
Thai Interior Minister plays down flood warnings
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) today announced another day of heavy downpours, flooding, and traffic chaos throughout the country and told the kingdom to brace itself. The Interior Minister on the other hand played it down and said there was nothing to worry about. The TMD made known it is 70% likely that the nation will be hit by another…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Flash flood warning due to heavy rains in 38 provinces
Heavy rains have been battering various parts of Thailand and are expected to continue into August. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation announced today that 38 provinces in the kingdom are under flash flood warnings all this week. The flash flood warnings from heavy rains are in effect in the North, Northeast, Central, East, and South regions of the…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s tsunami warning system still works, says Disaster Department
Thailand has worryingly lost connection with two tsunami detection buoys, but the country’s tsunami warning system is still effective, insists the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, or DDPM. Indian authorities recently recovered one of the buoys in the Indian Ocean after the department lost contact with it on October 22 last year. The department is trying to recover a…
- Thailand News
Flash flood warning for 8 Southern Thailand provinces
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall is expected over the weekend in eight provinces in Southern Thailand. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has announced a flash flood warning from April 2 to 4 in Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. The situation is likely to be severe in some areas and the department…
- Thailand News
6 dead and 30 provinces affected by tropical storm ‘Dianmu’
The tropical storm Dianmu, which passed through northern Thaiand last week, has resulted in flooding across 30 provinces and has claimed 6 lives since September 23. The report says Dianmu has resulted in reported flooding in Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Tak, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Loei, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Yasothon, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket,…
- Thailand News
Phuket construction worker drowns after getting stuck under storm drain
A 40-ish year old construction worker was killed in Phuket yesterday after he got stuck under a section of a storm drain; he eventually downed after rescue efforts failed. The man had been working at a construction site for a flood protection project near the Patong Hospital. He has been identified only as “Mr Mahana” and the Pattaya news says…
- South Thailand News
Thousands of people evacuated due to flood in deep south Thailand
Thousands of residents in Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat, in lower south of Thailand, evacuated their homes due to flash flooding from nearly a week of continuous heavy rain. Local authorities say a total of 18,024 households across 19 districts in the 3 provinces were affected. In Yala, the continuous heavy rain throughout the week caused the Sai Buri River to…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Southern Thailand flood death toll: 24
At least 24 people have died due to flash floods in Southern Thailand following several days of heavy rain. 19 of the victims were in Nakhon Si Thammarat which was hit the hardest. Today, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported 3 deaths from flooding in the southern region. A woman drowned in Surat Thani’s Phrasaeng district and 2…
