Senator Calls for Overhaul of Thailand's Disaster Response System
Thailand's disaster response system needs major overhaul, a senator says, citing 2.2 quadrillion baht in economic losses and over 10,500 deaths from natural disasters in the past two decades.
Over 20 years, natural disasters have cost Thailand 2.2 quadrillion baht in economic losses and claimed 10,549 lives. Senator Premsak Piayura is pushing for a comprehensive restructuring of disaster management systems, including a new relief fund and overhaul of emergency medical services financing before crises worsen.
Senator Premsak Piayura, chair of a Senate working group on crisis management and emergency medicine reform, disclosed findings from the group's sixth meeting on August 16. The data reveals alarming trends: between 2004 and 2024, Thailand faced repeated major disasters affecting over 68 million people and causing 10,549 deaths. Among the deadliest was the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which struck the Andaman coast killing and missing 8,345 people with economic damage of 55.7 billion baht. The 2011 Great Flood caused losses of 1.87 quadrillion baht.
Analysis of 95 major disasters over 20 years shows that 67 percent were floods and droughts, with drought alone affecting a cumulative 151 million people or nearly 42 million households. Premsak emphasized that these disasters represent ongoing systemic risk, not one-time events, and without serious investment in preparedness and financial restructuring, future losses could escalate.
The working group is prioritizing creation of a "Disaster Victim Relief and Recovery Fund," which the Cabinet has approved. The group is also pushing to amend the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2007, which has been in place for over 18 years and no longer fits the changing, more frequent and severe nature of modern disasters. Current reliance on annual budget allocations is insufficient.
Government data from 2003 to 2025 shows the state allocated 123.667 billion baht in total disaster relief, averaging 5.3 billion baht annually. The 2025 budget allocates 25.099 billion baht. Reform must shift from year-by-year relief to establishing dedicated financial reserves with streamlined disbursement to ensure vulnerable groups receive rapid, equitable assistance.
Another concern is the emergency medical services fund's financial strain. Emergency operations surged from 1.79 million in 2019 to 2.32 million in 2025—a 29 percent increase—while budgets remained flat at 1.05 to 1.09 billion baht annually.
