The Interior Ministry has ordered provinces to step up earthquake monitoring and preparedness following a series of onshore tremors earlier this year, including a cluster in Surat Thani that alarmed residents. Deputy Interior Minister Sakda Vicheansil instructed authorities, particularly in 23 high-risk provinces, to inspect buildings and dams, strengthen monitoring systems and conduct evacuation drills. The move aims to improve readiness and prevent panic as seismic activity continues in several regions.

Get today's headlines by email

Sakda chaired a meeting on 5 March, of the Central Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Operations Centre to review the country’s earthquake situation. Officials discussed repeated tremors with epicentres in several provinces including Surat Thani, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Lampang, as well as nearby areas. Surat Thani alone recorded more than 20 earthquakes, several of which were felt by residents and triggered concern among local communities.

Officials said analysis presented at the meeting showed that more than 90% of earthquakes recorded in Thailand are minor, with magnitudes below 3.0. Despite the relatively small size of most tremors, authorities are continuing to track movement along fault lines and monitor potential structural impacts. Particular attention is being given to critical infrastructure, especially water-storage dams, which officials say must be closely monitored.

Sakda instructed agencies to improve information management systems, earthquake databases and warning systems, while strengthening data links between departments to speed up analysis and alerts. The government also plans to expand the use of Cell Broadcast technology to send warnings directly to mobile phones when earthquakes occur. Local administrative organisations have been told to inspect the stability of buildings, billboards, dams, weirs and embankments, and to report and repair any unsafe structures without delay.

Provincial authorities were also ordered to update earthquake contingency plans, including identifying risk areas, potential impact zones, vulnerable groups, evacuation routes and temporary shelters. Joint evacuation drills with community networks and other sectors will be conducted to ensure response plans work effectively in practice.

Under the system, Cell Broadcast alerts will be issued for onshore earthquakes in Thailand of magnitude 4.0 or higher, earthquakes in Southeast Asia measuring 6.0 or above, and earthquakes in the Andaman Sea with magnitudes of 7.0 or greater. The Thai Meteorological Department will send the first warning message, followed by updates from the DDPM and the Department of Mineral Resources under agreed operating procedures.

The Nation reported that authorities have also been instructed to survey and inspect evacuation shelters to ensure they are usable and equipped to support displaced residents. Officials said shelters must have basic facilities such as cooking arrangements, toilets and equipment needed for daily living during temporary accommodation.

Picture courtesy of The Nation

Join the discussion?

Already a member?

Adapted by ASEAN Now Nation 7 Mar 2026

View full article

“Easy to say, not easy to do” sums this up rather well.

As anyone involved in counter disaster management will tell you, this earthquake‑readiness directive is enormous in scope!

Ordering 23 provinces to tighten inspections, drills, and monitoring sounds straightforward, but in practice it requires:

- thousands of trained inspectors

- coordination across multiple ministries

- budget allocations

- local‑level compliance

- technical expertise that sits outside the Interior Ministry, and above all time!

So, even if Sakda is earnest, the machinery beneath him is vast and slow. The directive is easy to announce, but extremely difficult to implement quickly.

On a positive note, I can report that Thailand’s two Andaman Sea tsunami buoys remain operational, providing at least one reliable layer of early‑warning capability (see https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=23401 and https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=23461).