Thailand typhoon guide¶

The กรมป้องกันและบรรเทาสาธารณภัย (Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, DDPM), under the Ministry of Interior, runs disaster response and warnings, and takes reports on its 1784 hotline. The กรมอุตุนิยมวิทยา (Thai Meteorological Department, TMD) issues numbered warnings for tropical storms and heavy rain, in Thai and English. Storms that reach Thailand are mostly tropical depressions, tropical storms, and the remains of typhoons, and the main danger is days of heavy rain, which TMD warns can cause flash floods, overflowing rivers, and landslides near foothills and in lowlands. Thailand is on this one page.

Checked on October 29, 2026

Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM). In an emergency, call 191 for police, 1669 for a medical emergency, or 199 for fire. Visitors can call the Tourist Police on 1155.

What to know in Thailand¶

DDPM sends warnings to mobile phones by Cell Broadcast. Phones in the warned area sound an alert and show the message even when set to silent, locked, or on vibrate, with no sign up. Only phones with iOS 18 or newer or Android 11 or newer receive it. The Government Public Relations Department says the system has been used for floods in the North and the South.
DDPM's SMS alerts use risk levels. Level 3 (yellow): be prepared, follow the authorities, and get vulnerable people ready to leave. Level 4 (orange): evacuate as the authorities advise and move belongings to higher ground. Level 5 (red): evacuate immediately. Warnings are sent 12 to 24 hours ahead and emergency alerts 6 to 12 hours ahead.
TMD's storm tracking map classes storms as a low pressure area, tropical depression (พายุดีเปรสชั่น), tropical storm (พายุโซนร้อน), or typhoon (พายุไต้ฝุ่น). A weakened storm can still bring dangerous rain, so read each numbered TMD warning, not only the storm's name or class.

Emergency and information numbers¶

Service	Number	Notes
Police emergency	191	Emergency Call Center of the Royal Thai Police, as the government portal lists it.
Medical emergency	1669	Medical Emergency Call Center, for an ambulance.
Fire	199	Fire emergency, as the government portal lists it.
Tourist Police	1155	Tourist Police Bureau, for visitors who need help.
DDPM disaster hotline	1784	สายด่วน 1784, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation hotline for reporting disasters and asking for help, 24 hours a day. The government portal lists it as the National Disaster Warning Center.
TMD call center	1182	Thai Meteorological Department call center for weather information. Not an emergency line.
Tourist information (TAT)	1672	Tourism Authority of Thailand information line.
DDPM head office	+66-2-637-3000	Office line, 3/12 U Thong Nok Road, Dusit, Bangkok, as DDPM writes it (0-2637-3000). Not for emergencies.

Official alerts and information¶

TMD warnings: The Thai Meteorological Department's numbered warnings for tropical storms and heavy rain, in English. Check the number and date on each one. Website.
TMD storm tracking: Map of current storms and their forecast tracks. Website.

National resources¶

Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (กรมป้องกันและบรรเทาสาธารณภัย): Disaster situation reports and warning reports from the National Disaster Warning Center. Mostly in Thai. Website.
Cell Broadcast alerts (Government Public Relations Department): How DDPM's phone alerts work and which phones receive them. Website.
Disaster Warning SMS Alerts (Thailand.go.th): What each SMS alert risk level asks you to do. Website.

For state agencies across the country, see the official sources page.

Evacuation centers¶

Open only when announced

Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.

Shelters (ศูนย์พักพิง) are opened when needed, so do not assume one is open. DDPM's shelter database shows which centers are in use and which are closed, on a map, in Thai. Follow the SMS and Cell Broadcast alerts and your local authorities on when to leave and where to go.

Official list of open evacuation centers

Radio, TV and weather¶

Keep a battery or hand crank radio. When power and cell service fail, radio is often the only way to hear official updates.

Official forecasts¶

Thai Meteorological Department (กรมอุตุนิยมวิทยา, TMD): Thailand's national weather service, with forecasts, radar, warnings, and storm tracking. Headquarters, 4353 Sukhumvit Road, Bangna, Bangkok, also lists +66-2-399-4566 (written 0-2399-4566). Thai site at https://www.tmd.go.th/. TMD also has the Thai Weather and Thai Weather Radio apps. Phone: 1182. Website.

Power, water and debris¶

Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA, การไฟฟ้านครหลวง): MEA Call Center, 24 hours. MEA serves Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Samut Prakan. Phone: 1130. Website.
Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA, การไฟฟ้าส่วนภูมิภาค): PEA Contact Center, every day, 24 hours. PEA serves the other 74 provinces, everywhere except Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Samut Prakan. Phone: 1129. Website.

After the storm: help for displaced residents¶

If your home is damaged or you cannot go back, these organizations help with shelter, food, money, and paperwork. Many programs open only after a disaster declaration, so check their pages for current status.

Relief organizations¶

Thai Red Cross Society (สภากาชาดไทย): National Red Cross society, with disaster preparedness and response work, including storm and flood relief. 1664 is the number shown on its website. Phone: 1664. Website.

Sources¶

Checked on October 29, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.