NationThailand-Oct 6
This week’s shooting incident at Siam Paragon mall, which killed two people and wounded five others, has led to calls for Thailand to urgently implement the SMS Emergency Alert system used in many countries worldwide.This system allows the public to receive important information through their mobile phones so they can avoid danger zones or, if already in such areas, quickly evacuate. Thailand currently has the “Traffy Fondue” app which was developed by the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), and the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) is encouraging the public to use this as a warning system.
Initially, Traffy Fondue was a platform for communication between citizens and responsible agencies concerning urban problems. Citizens could report issues directly to the responsible parties through the app. Whether these related to cleanliness, problems with sidewalks, street lighting, or damaged roads, people could report them along with enough information for the agencies to take immediate action. This included photographs and locations on the map. Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the NSTDA research team applied Traffy Fondue to the LINE Chatbot platform. This allowed citizens to promptly report the movements of people coming from high-risk areas as well as those returning to their hometowns. While waiting for the government to develop an emergency alert system, citizens can use apps developed by the private sector, for example, LINE Alert. By adding @linealert, people can follow emergency alert situations. Read more at: https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40031657
