Disaster Risk Reduction and Tsunami Early Warning Systems in Thailand: a case study on Krabi Province

The report evaluates Thailand's post-2004 tsunami disaster risk reduction (DRR) and early warning system (EWS) efforts, focusing on Krabi Province. While national institutional frameworks and monitoring technologies like DART buoys have improved, significant gaps remain in the 'last mile'—the connection between national warnings and local action. Key failures include dysfunctional warning towers, inappropriate evacuation routes, and a lack of community-specific risk knowledge. The study argues for a shift toward 'people-centred' EWS that integrates indigenous knowledge, ensures local government accountability, and aligns DRM with community livelihoods to overcome distrust and resource constraints at the sub-national level.

• Thailand has established a national EWS coordinated by the National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC), utilizing DART II buoys in the Indian Ocean to reduce analysis time and improve the timeliness of warnings.
• There is a significant discrepancy in risk knowledge between national and local levels, partly because DRM policies are often generic and fail to account for local contexts, such as the specific needs of island villages or gender and cultural differences.
• The maintenance of warning towers is fragmented and unreliable; many towers in Krabi Province are dysfunctional due to a lack of clear ownership, accountability of contractors, and insufficient funding for regular inspections.
• Dissemination of warnings is hindered by poor infrastructure, including warning towers with limited areal coverage, sirens obscured by noise pollution, and a history of false alarms that have eroded public trust.
• Evacuation routes and safe places in Krabi Province are often inappropriate or misleading, with some signs pointing in the wrong direction or leading to shelters that were never constructed.
• Local response capability is constrained by limited financial and staff resources at the Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO) level, as well as a high turnover of volunteers leading to a loss of institutional memory.
• Community engagement in DRR is more effective when linked to livelihood improvements, such as integrating EWS with fishery safety or using micro-credit and revolving loan funds to support community groups.
• A lack of government support and past experiences with corruption regarding post-tsunami compensation have created widespread distrust and apathy among some coastal communities toward official EWS and governance structures.

APA

Thomalla, F., Metusela, C., Naruchaikusol, S., Larsen, R. K., & Tepa, C. (2009). Disaster Risk Reduction and Tsunami Early Warning Systems in Thailand: a case study on Krabi Province. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-ProjectReport-Thomalla-DisasterRiskReduction.pdf

Chicago

Thomalla, Frank, Christine Metusela, Sopon Naruchaikusol, Rasmus Klocker Larsen, and Chanyuth Tepa. Disaster Risk Reduction and Tsunami Early Warning Systems in Thailand: a case study on Krabi Province. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2009. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-ProjectReport-Thomalla-DisasterRiskReduction.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Thomalla |first1=Frank |last2=Metusela |first2=Christine |last3=Naruchaikusol |first3=Sopon |last4=Larsen |first4=Rasmus Klocker |last5=Tepa |first5=Chanyuth |title=Disaster Risk Reduction and Tsunami Early Warning Systems in Thailand: a case study on Krabi Province |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2009 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-ProjectReport-Thomalla-DisasterRiskReduction.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{thomalla2009disaster, author = {Thomalla, Frank and Metusela, Christine and Naruchaikusol, Sopon and Larsen, Rasmus Klocker and Tepa, Chanyuth}, title = {{Disaster Risk Reduction and Tsunami Early Warning Systems in Thailand: a case study on Krabi Province}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2009}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-ProjectReport-Thomalla-DisasterRiskReduction.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }