On 7 - 11 May 2013, Thailand and the Republic of Korea will co-host the ASEAN Regional Forum Disaster Relief Exercise (ARF DiREx) 2013 in Cha-am, Phetchaburi, Thailand. The main organizers for Thailand are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation under the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Defense.

First held in 2009, ARF DiREx takes place every two years and is co-hosted by an ASEAN Member State and a non ASEAN ARF member. The exercise aims to enhance civilian-military coordination and cooperation in disaster relief as well as to promote the exchange of expertise and best practices in disaster management among ARF participants. ARF Members include the ten ASEAN Member States, ASEAN Dialogue Partners (Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia, the United States and the European Union) and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region (Bangladesh, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste).

The Exercise will bring together about 1,200 civilian and military representatives from ARF members and relevant regional and international agencies including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre).

ARF DiREx 2013 comprises 3 main activities, namely Table Top Exercise (TTX), Field Training Exercise (FTX), and After Action Review (AAR). The TTX focuses on 3 themes: international cooperation framework, national framework (logistics, customs, immigration & quarantine, and public information), and foreign citizen assistance. The Exercise will test the existing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) standards of operation of Thailand, ASEAN, and ARF for disaster management, in conjunction with international HADR cooperation frameworks. With a main focus on civilian-military coordination, the FTX exercise will consist of 5 scenarios: collapse of building structure, hazardous material leakage, rock slide, maritime rescue, and medical operation. Both TTX and FTX will be evaluated by the After Action Review (AAR) Working Group. The main tasks of AAR Working Group include distribution of the questionnaire, collection, compilation, and evaluation of the data and observations at the FTX and TTX, and the drafting of a final report with recommendations. At the end of DiREx 2013, the AAR Working Group will present and submit, for the first time, its report and recommendations to the ARF Ministerial Meeting.

ARF DiREx 2013 reflects Thailand’s commitment and active role in disaster management and will serve as a platform for networking and exchanging expertise and best practices among ARF members and the relevant international agencies.