Bangkok Stages Full-Scale Water Disaster Drill on Chao Phraya

Picture and video courtesy of BMA.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on the 29 August, carried out a full-scale disaster response exercise on the Chao Phraya River, simulating a major incident involving passenger vessels, a cargo ship and a fire mid-river.

The scenario, staged under Rama VIII Bridge in Bang Phlat District, recreated a collision between a cargo vessel, a passenger boat and a floating restaurant, leaving passengers injured, some thrown overboard and a blaze breaking out onboard. The fire and mass-casualty situation tested the city’s preparedness for large-scale waterborne emergencies.

The exercise was led by Dr Wantanee Wattana, Permanent Secretary of the BMA, in her capacity as Deputy Director of Bangkok under the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act 2007. She was joined by Assoc. Prof. Tavida Kamolvej, Deputy Governor of Bangkok and Mr Supakrit Boonkhan, Deputy Permanent Secretary, who attended to observe and evaluate the operation.

Dr Wantanee said the drill was crucial in raising readiness and public confidence:

“This exercise enhances the preparedness of all agencies and assures the public that Bangkok and its partners can respond effectively and swiftly to water-related disasters. Safety and confidence are at the heart of reducing losses and preventing future problems, especially as the Chao Phraya River is our main artery, vital to tourism and the life of Bangkok.”

She expressed her gratitude to officials, volunteers and partner organisations, emphasising the collective mission to protect lives and public safety.

Deputy Governor Tavida highlighted the importance of exposing operational gaps:

“Today we deliberately allowed the design and execution of the drill to be managed by the participating teams themselves. It is the first time that two district directors had to command jointly under a Unified Command structure. The aim was to see how well the teams could align their understanding in real time. This gives us valuable insight to improve coordination in the future.”

The exercise formed part of the BMA’s 2025 Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Plan. Earlier, between 20–21 August, a flood and waterlogging tabletop drill was held in Bang Bon District, followed on 27 August by a functional exercise focusing on specific operational units. These included incident command, water rescue, communications, relief, firefighting and emergency medical response.

The full-scale exercise marked the culmination of the programme, involving a live-action response. Operations simulated included rescuing people from the water, extinguishing a fire mid-river, evacuating passengers, searching for missing persons on the surface and underwater, providing emergency medical treatment and setting up relief shelters for displaced victims.

The drill brought together an extensive network of agencies. From the BMA, participants included the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, Medical Services Department, Health Department, City Law Enforcement, Strategy and Evaluation Office, Public Relations Office, Foreign Affairs Office, Bang Phlat and Phra Nakhon District Offices and Civil Defence Volunteers.

They were joined by key partners: Vajira Hospital of Navamindradhiraj University, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the Marine Department, the Royal Thai Navy, the Royal Thai Police, the Ruamkatanyu and Poh Teck Tung Foundations, the Association of Volunteer Radio Operators, Emergency Services Unit of Thailand (ESU), Volunteer Rescue Team Thailand (VRTT), as well as private sector representatives from CP ALL Public Company Limited.

Officials said the event provided vital experience in coordination, resource mobilisation and cross-agency communication, ensuring Bangkok is better prepared to respond to real-life river emergencies.

  Adapted by Asean Now from BMA 2025-09-01