The Ministry of Digital Economy is preparing to handle rainy season disasters. Minister Chaiyachonok has ordered integration of data from the Meteorological Department and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, while bringing in NT to create a nationwide emergency communication network.
21 May 2026 GMT+7 Chaiyachonok Chidchob, Minister of Digital Economy and Society (DE) chaired the Ministry's Top Executives meeting No. 4/2026, attended by Deputy Minister Nann Bunyathida Somchai, DE executives, and agency leaders to review progress on assigned policy tasks.
Chaiyachonok said today's meeting reviewed progress on government policies, including energy-saving measures across agencies and preparation of projects like the AI Passport to support Thai access to AI technology, development of a welfare data platform stored as Digital ID leading to a unified ONE ID, among others.
He also assigned relevant agencies to prepare plans and measures for disaster readiness amid recent earthquakes and heavy rains. The Meteorological Department was tasked with monitoring weather data, enhancing forecasts, and integrating with the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation under the Ministry of Interior to provide timely public warnings.
The National Statistical Office was assigned to develop centralized standards for disaster data collection to facilitate data exchange and develop a National Disaster Data Warehouse. This includes warning data, displaced persons, victims and damage records, shelter information, and post-disaster recovery data, with plans to present these to the Cabinet for consideration.
: National Telecom Public Company Limited (NT) proposed the Public Safety Mobile Network (PSMN) project by upgrading its 850 MHz frequency band granted by the NBTC, combined with its existing 700 MHz network. This network will be used for alerts, monitoring, and disaster mitigation communications for related agencies.:The project plans to install 350 base stations across 253 districts in 75 provinces covering high-risk disaster zones and economic areas such as Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Songkhla, Phuket, and the EEC region (Chachoengsao, Chonburi, and Rayong). It integrates eight years of historical data from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and the National Water Resources Office.
The network will operate with roaming to maximize coverage and stability. Each base station will have backup power and generators, plus 10% satellite backhaul redundancy to ensure continuous communication even if the main network fails.Additionally,NT is developing applications supporting Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT), Talk Groups, and Video Surveillance for officials, along with a channel for citizens to report requests for assistance with location coordinates.
The Minister of Digital Economy said, "Our ministry is implementing government policies to address security and natural disaster challenges by integrating data and coordinating with relevant agencies. We emphasize timely public warnings, preparedness, assistance, and swift recovery once disaster situations subside to establish a standardized, systematic approach to disaster prevention and response."
Read more " Government Policies " here