Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Visits Thailand
Dr. Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), paid an official visit to Thailand from 14–19 July 2026, coordinated by the Royal Thai Embassy in Vienna. The visit aimed to further strengthen cooperation between Thailand and the CTBTO in support of the global ban on nuclear testing, scientific and technological capacity-building, and the use of data from the International Monitoring System (IMS) for public benefit.
On 15 July 2026, Dr. Floyd paid courtesy calls on Professor Dr. Yodchanan Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, and Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs. He also met with Dr. Roongruang Kitphati, Secretary General of the Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP). Discussions focused on advancing Thailand–CTBTO cooperation at both the policy and scientific and technical levels, including the broader use of IMS data, particularly for disaster monitoring, early warning and preparedness.
During the visit, the CTBTO Executive Secretary commended Thailand’s active role as host to two IMS stations: the PS41 primary seismic station in Chiang Mai Province and the RN65 radionuclide station in Nakhon Pathom Province. In addition to supporting the CTBT verification regime, data generated by the IMS provide valuable civil and scientific applications, including earthquake detection and earthquake and tsunami early warning, thereby contributing to public safety.
Both sides also discussed ways to further enhance Thailand’s participation in CTBTO activities, including capacity-building for Thai personnel and experts, as well as preparations for Thailand and the CTBTO to co-host the CTBTO Regional Workshop for South-East Asia and the Pacific in Thailand in 2027, with a view to promoting regional cooperation and knowledge exchange.
As part of the visit, on 16 July 2026, the Office of Atoms for Peace, in collaboration with the CTBTO, organized the event “30 Years of the CTBT in ASEAN: Past, Present, and Promise for the Future” in Bangkok to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the opening for signature of the CTBT. Approximately 180 participants, including youth, school and university students, representatives of government agencies, and members of the diplomatic corps, attended the event. Participants actively engaged with Dr. Floyd and the panelists on the role of the CTBT in advancing nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, related scientific and technological developments, as well as opportunities for youth engagement through the CTBTO Youth Group.
Dr. Floyd also visited key facilities supporting Thailand’s participation in the IMS, including the National Data Centre (NDC) of the Thai Meteorological Department, where the delegation learned about Thailand’s earthquake monitoring and warning operations; the PS41 primary seismic station in Chiang Mai Province, operated under the supervision of the Hydrographic Department of the Royal Thai Navy; and the RN65 radionuclide station at Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom Province. The visits provided an opportunity to observe the stations’ operations and discuss ways to further advance technical cooperation and capacity-building.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1996 and prohibits nuclear weapon test explosions and any other nuclear explosions in all environments. The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), headquartered in Vienna, works to promote the universalization of the Treaty and to establish and maintain a global verification regime capable of detecting nuclear explosions worldwide.
At the heart of this verification regime is the International Monitoring System (IMS), which employs four verification technologies: seismic, infrasound, hydroacoustic, and radionuclide monitoring. Once complete, the IMS will comprise a global network of 337 monitoring facilities and laboratories. Thailand signed the CTBT on 12 November 1996 and ratified it on 25 September 2018. Since then, Thailand has continued to actively support the objectives of the Treaty while promoting the peaceful and civil applications of CTBTO science, technology, and monitoring data for the security and safety of the public.
The visit underscored the close and longstanding partnership between Thailand and the CTBTO and reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to supporting the global norm against nuclear testing, strengthening nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as promoting the wider application of CTBTO science and technology for sustainable development and public safety.
