True Corporation has completed 100% of its disaster preparedness upgrades across Southern Thailand ahead of the year-end rainy season, integrating AI flood prediction, elevating base station equipment over five meters, and designating 33 strategic sites in Hatyai and Songkhla to safeguard telecommunications.
Drawing on operational lessons from the 2025 floods in Hatyai, Songkhla Province—where floodwaters reached approximately three to four meters in some areas—the company has overhauled its mobile and home internet infrastructure. The initiatives extend beyond Songkhla to other flood-prone southern provinces, including Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Surat Thani, in coordination with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), and local authorities.
AI-Driven Risk Assessment and Proactive Deployment
To prevent service blackouts before floodwaters restrict physical access, True Corporation now utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze water level trends and evaluate flood risks at individual base stations. The system integrates data from ThaiWater, Thailand’s national water information platform, alongside government water level monitoring feeds and internal risk assessment thresholds.
When predictive models flag elevated risks, engineering teams proactively dispatch backup generators and emergency equipment to critical locations before conditions deteriorate. Recently, Jirachai Kunakorn, Deputy Chief Network Officer at True Corporation Public Company Limited, and Uthai Sirisawut, Senior Leader for Regional Network Rollout and Operation South, led a headquarters engineering team to Southern Thailand to inspect core networks, base stations, transmission systems, and backup power readiness.
“The major floods in Hatyai last year demonstrated how critical communications are to people’s lives and safety, from emergency calls for assistance to coordination among government agencies, hospitals, and rescue teams,” said Jirachai Kunakorn. “True has applied lessons from its on-the-ground operations to strengthen disaster preparedness, with two key priorities: minimizing network disruption and restoring services more quickly if damage occurs.”
Infrastructure Hardening and 72-Hour Backup Power
True Corporation has inspected 100% of its base stations in Hatyai and surrounding districts of Songkhla, reconfiguring its network topology to establish direct connections between critical sites and the core network. By reducing reliance on multiple intermediate relay sites, engineers can restore affected base stations faster if localized infrastructure sustains damage.
At high-risk locations, the operator has elevated base station equipment to more than five meters above ground level and constructed raised platforms for backup generators. Core network facilities and base stations have also received upgraded flood barriers, enhanced water pumping systems, and elevated transformers and air-conditioning units. To sustain operations during prolonged grid outages and supply chain disruptions, True expanded backup battery capacity and increased generator fuel reserves to support approximately 72 hours, or three days, of continuous operation.
Redundant Links for Hospitals and Home Internet Resilience
For critical public infrastructure, including Hatyai Hospital, True Corporation deployed microwave transmission links as secondary backup routes in case primary fiber-optic cables are severed. This builds on recovery protocols established during the 2025 floods, which prioritized connectivity for government command centers, hospitals, Hatyai International Airport, Wing 56, and evacuation shelters.
The company has also reinforced home broadband resilience across flood-prone southern provinces by elevating the installation height of Outdoor Optical Line Terminal (OLT) equipment that distributes fiber-optic internet services. Replacement hardware and dedicated engineering teams are staged locally to accelerate post-flood restoration once water levels recede.
Inter-Agency Drills and Operational Readiness
Ahead of the monsoon season, True Corporation conducted joint base station inspections in Hatyai with the NBTC and participated in the National Crisis Management Exercise 2026, organized by the DDPM, to test emergency communications and inter-agency coordination. The company also coordinated with Hatyai Municipality and local agencies to secure equipment transport corridors and site access during floods, while running internal simulations with primary and backup engineering teams.
“The key is to identify risks early and take preventive action before an emergency occurs,” Jirachai added. “By combining AI-powered risk prediction, stronger network infrastructure, extended backup power, and engineering response drills, we aim to help people, government agencies, hospitals, and rescue teams maintain access to essential communications, even during severe flooding.”
All infrastructure upgrades and disaster preparedness measures under the southern network readiness plan are now 100% complete, with regional engineering teams on standby to monitor flood risks and maintain connectivity across Southern Thailand throughout the year-end rainy season.
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