Information as of 25 October 2026
Most urban fires do not start with the unexpected. They start with things people walk past every day: a fire hydrant with a car parked over it, a soi so crowded with stalls and low cables that a fire engine cannot get in, rubbish piled against a building, oil floating on a canal. All of these can be fixed before anything happens, as long as someone reports them and the report reaches the agency that can act.
Bangkok already has the channel for this. Traffy Fondue is a city-issue reporting platform developed by Thailand’s National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) under NSTDA, and used by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) since 2022. This guide covers both halves of the problem: the fire hazards worth reporting, and oil and water pollution, which the Pollution Control Department also takes on hotline 1650. It explains how to report each so it gets fixed, and when to call 199 instead.
In short
- Fire, smoke, a gas smell or someone trapped: call 199 immediately. Traffy Fondue is not an emergency line.
- Hazards that have not caused an incident yet, such as blocked hydrants, sois fire engines cannot enter, sagging cables or oil in canals, can be reported via Traffy Fondue.
- Oil sheen, discoloured water, chemical smells or illegal dumping: report via Traffy Fondue (LINE @traffyfondue, or tourist.traffy.in.th in English) or the Pollution Control Department hotline 1650.
- Report through LINE @traffyfondue. Visitors who do not read Thai can use BMA’s English version at tourist.traffy.in.th.
- Never pour detergent on it. It breaks the oil into the water column and makes recovery harder.
- It works at scale. As of 4 March 2026, BMA reported 1,229,503 cumulative reports, 81% of them resolved.
Official Traffy Fondue channels
- LINE: @traffyfondue (the official “TraffyFondue ฟองดูว์” LINE account). Add it as a friend and report straight from the chat.
- Traffy Fondue Bangkok website: bangkok.traffy.in.th
- English version for foreign residents and visitors: tourist.traffy.in.th
When to call 199, not use the app
Traffy Fondue is built for problems an agency needs to fix, not incidents that need someone on scene within minutes. Call the fire emergency number 199 straight away if you see:
- fire, smoke or a burning smell;
- a gas leak smell;
- sparks or smoke from electrical cables;
- people trapped in a building.
Once the scene is safe, report any remaining cause, such as a cable still hanging or a soi entrance still blocked, through Traffy Fondue.
Which channel, when
| Situation | Channel |
|---|---|
| Fire, explosion, toxic gas, people affected | 199, immediately |
| Oil in a canal, drain or riverside in Bangkok | Traffy Fondue (LINE @traffyfondue). The report is routed to the responsible agency. |
| Water or air pollution, illegal waste dumping, in or outside Bangkok | Pollution Control Department hotline 1650 (working days 08:30–18:00; voicemail at other times) or e-petition@pcd.go.th |
| Visitors who do not read Thai | BMA’s English Traffy Fondue: tourist.traffy.in.th |
Hotline 1650 hours are from a Pollution Control Department document. Check the department’s website for current hours before calling.
Fire hazards worth reporting
| What you see | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Fire hydrant blocked by a parked car or stored goods, or damaged | Firefighters need to connect to a hydrant fast. A hydrant they cannot reach or use costs time when it matters most. |
| A soi or entrance a fire engine cannot get through: stalls, double parking, encroaching structures | Fire engines must get close enough to reach the building with hoses. Blocked narrow sois are a recurring problem in dense neighbourhoods. |
| Power or telecom cables hanging low, tangled or detached | A possible ignition source, and an obstacle for fire engines and aerial ladders. If there are sparks or smoke, call 199 first. |
| Oil or chemicals floating in a canal or drain | Both pollution and fuel, and often the visible sign of a leak or dumping upstream. See the oil and water pollution section below. |
| Rubbish, combustible materials or open burning next to buildings or on vacant land | A rubbish fire spreads easily into neighbouring buildings, especially in dry weather. |
| Unauthorised fireworks | BMA has asked residents to report these through Traffy Fondue during New Year periods. |
Traffy Fondue routes each report to the responsible agency, which may be the district office or another body. You do not need to know who is responsible.
Oil and water pollution worth reporting
- Oil sheen or slicks on canals, drains, sumps or the riverside.
- Oil or oily liquid flowing from a pipe into a canal or public drain.
- Unusually coloured water or chemical smells.
- Large numbers of dead fish, which often signals something wrong in the water.
- Dumped drums of used oil, chemicals or waste on vacant land or canal banks.
- Open burning of rubbish or materials, which is both air pollution and a fire-spread risk.
Reading an oil sheen by its colour
Oil-spill responders estimate film thickness from colour using the Bonn Agreement Oil Appearance Code, used in European maritime surveillance. It helps you describe what you see, and helps officials judge whether it is a thin spreading film or a substantial amount of oil.
| What you see | Approximate thickness | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Silvery sheen | 0.04–0.3 µm | Very thin; usually spreads and evaporates |
| Rainbow | 0.3–5 µm | Still thin, but confirms oil is present |
| Metallic | 5–50 µm | Real quantity; report and look for a source |
| Brown or black, patchy | 50–200 µm | Substantial oil; report at once |
| Brown or black, continuous | >200 µm | Thick oil, typically from an ongoing leak or large discharge |
These are visual estimates. Sunlight, viewing angle and oil type all change the colour you see.
How to make a report that gets fixed
- Add LINE @traffyfondue, or use BMA’s web and QR channels, or the English site tourist.traffy.in.th.
- Take two photos: a wide one showing context and a landmark, and a close one showing the problem clearly.
- Drop the location pin accurately. A wrong pin is the most common reason staff cannot find the spot.
- Be short and specific: “Hydrant at the soi entrance has a car parked over it every night after 8 pm” beats “car blocking”.
- Pick the closest problem type and follow the report’s status.
Extra details for oil and water pollution
- Photo of the likely source, such as a pipe outlet discharging oil, taken from public space only.
- Date and time, and whether this is a one-off or recurring. A continuous leak and a single dump are handled differently.
What not to do
- Do not enter private property or confront anyone to get a photo.
- Avoid capturing faces and licence plates more clearly than needed. The hazard is what matters.
- Do not use it instead of 199 once something is already happening.
- Do not touch oil or chemicals with bare hands, and do not enter the water.
- Do not pour detergent, washing powder or any chemical on it.
Why small things matter
After the July 2026 Bangkok nightlife-venue fire, news reports said investigators found locked exits and several safety deficiencies. Fire safety is not decided on the day of the fire. It is decided by what was left unfixed on ordinary days before.
BMA figures as of 4 March 2026 show 1,229,503 reports through Traffy Fondue, with 1,000,113 (81%) resolved, and the system is now used by government agencies in other provinces too. A system this widely used works best when clear reports come in, and fire hazards are the reports most worth making.
For businesses, factories, fuel depots and ports
Most hazards the public can report sit outside your fence, but the consequences come inside it. A blocked hydrant outside your plant, or an entrance road a fire engine cannot use, is time lost before water reaches your building. Walk the fire-engine access route and nearby hydrants regularly, and report what you find through the same channel.
The fire systems inside your own site (fire pumps, water supply, detection) are the owner’s legal responsibility. See Fire Pump Testing in Thailand or contact our engineers.
Much of the oil the public sees in canals comes from manageable sources: leaking tanks, transfers without drip trays, unmaintained oil and grease traps. The best fix is spill-containment equipment and a response plan that works, before oil ever reaches a public waterway.
- Ports and berths handling oil have minimum equipment rules under Marine Department Notification 134/2564.
- For specifying and buying spill equipment, see Oil Spill Response Equipment Procurement in Thailand.
- Containment and recovery equipment: Oil Spill Equipment.
Credits and the organisations behind Traffy Fondue
- Traffy Fondue was developed by the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) nectec.or.th, part of the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) nstda.or.th.
- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) uses Traffy Fondue to receive reports and route them to the responsible agencies. bangkok.go.th
- The Pollution Control Department takes pollution complaints on hotline 1650 and lists Traffy Fondue among its complaint channels. pcd.go.th
- Report statistics: BMA spokesperson, via Thansettakij (figures as of 4 March 2026).
- Photos are stock images from Magnific (Freepik), used as examples only. They are not real reports.
Traffy Fondue and the agency names mentioned belong to their respective owners and are used here for public information. Our thanks to everyone who makes it easier for people to report a problem.
About this article
SATU Innovative wrote this article in the public interest. SATU Innovative is not involved in developing or operating Traffy Fondue or hotline 1650, and this article is not sponsored or endorsed by NECTEC, NSTDA, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration or the Pollution Control Department. Reporting-channel details are taken from information the agencies have published.
Frequently asked questions
What is Traffy Fondue?
A city-issue reporting platform developed by NECTEC under NSTDA and used officially by the BMA since 2022. Residents report a problem with a photo and location, and it is routed to the responsible agency.
Can foreigners use Traffy Fondue?
Yes. BMA launched an English version for international users at tourist.traffy.in.th.
Where do I report a fire?
Call 199 immediately. Traffy Fondue is not an emergency channel.
Where do I report oil in a Bangkok canal?
Through Traffy Fondue (LINE @traffyfondue, or tourist.traffy.in.th in English) with photos and a location, or the Pollution Control Department hotline 1650. If there is fire or toxic gas, call 199.
Is a rainbow sheen dangerous?
A rainbow sheen is a thin film of roughly 0.3–5 µm. It is not much oil, but it confirms oil is present and is worth reporting so the source can be found.
Can I clean it up with detergent?
No. Detergent breaks the oil into the water: it disappears from view but not from the water, and becomes harder to recover.
Sources
- Thansettakij, Traffy Fondue statistics as of 4 Mar 2026: https://www.thansettakij.com/business/economy/597188
- Bangkokbiznews, NECTEC and Traffy Fondue: https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/tech/1254737
- BMA, English version of Traffy Fondue: https://pr-bangkok.com/?p=478279
- PRD, BMA fireworks reporting via Traffy Fondue: https://archive-thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG231231120626768
- Al Jazeera, Bangkok pub fire (Jul 2026): https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/7/13/locked-exits-burning-decor-inside-bangkoks-deadly-pub-fire
- Pollution Control Department, complaint channels (1650, Traffy Fondue, e-petition@pcd.go.th): https://ecap.pcd.go.th/public/assets/img/download/202605211900681739.pdf
- Pollution Control Department, oil slick and chemical odour reports via 1650: https://www.pcd.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/pcdnew-2025-08-19_08-54-46_414047.pdf
- Post Today, reporting oil in drainage via Traffy Fondue: https://www.posttoday.com/general-news/748651
- Bonn Agreement, Oil Appearance Code (Counter Pollution Manual): https://www.bonnagreement.org