DDPM urges Phuket households to prepare 72-hour emergency bags

Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) advised households on 2 November 2026 to prepare emergency bags containing essential supplies for at least 72 hours, including three litres of drinking water per person per day.

The recommendation is an international emergency-preparedness benchmark covering the critical period before government assistance can be fully organised after a disaster. DDPM said it was a general precaution for natural disasters, fires, riots and other emergencies, rather than advice linked to any specific international conflict.

DDPM director-general Nirat Pongsitthaworn said the guidance formed part of the department’s longstanding campaign to reduce disaster risks and encourage preparedness without causing panic.

The recommended supplies fall into six categories: medicines and health items; food and drinking water; communication equipment and tools; important documents and cash; personal hygiene supplies; and clothing and bedding.

Households should prepare a first-aid kit, personal medicines and medical records, along with ready-to-eat food and energy snacks. Food should be suitable for young children, older people and people who are ill. The agency also advised keeping a mobile phone, power bank, torch, spare batteries, a radio, whistle, candles, lighter, notebook, pen, pocketknife, scissors, rope and tape.

Important documents, including identification cards, house registration documents, health insurance cards, driving licences, bank passbooks and land title deeds, should be stored with copies in a waterproof pouch. Spare keys and cash are also recommended in case online financial services are unavailable.

DDPM said bags should be lightweight, waterproof and kept somewhere easily accessible for evacuation. Households should regularly check that equipment works and that supplies have not expired.

Nirat said emergency bags could help households respond to flash floods, landslides, earthquakes, disease outbreaks, fires, riots, sabotage, cyberwarfare and other emergencies. DDPM said it was also preparing response machinery, personnel, early warnings through the Cell Broadcast system and other channels, and relief arrangements for different situations.