On September 10, 2019, the 6th China-Thailand Joint Committee Meeting on Marine Cooperation was held in Bangkok, Thailand. Mr. Wijam Simachaya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, and Mr. Wang Qian, Deputy Director of the International Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the PRC, jointly hosted the meeting. More than 50 delegates and experts from China and Thailand attended the meeting.

At the opening speech, Permanent Secretary Wijam Simachaya extended his gratitude and praise for the accurate forecasts in Phuket Shipwreck on July 5, 2018. The forecasts were provided by the research project of Southeast Asia Marine Environment Forecast and Disaster Warning System (OFS) led by The First Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources (FIO, MNR). He hoped that China may assist Thailand in establishing a higher-resolution offshore environmental forecast system on that basis, which better serves the marine disaster prevention and mitigation and ecological environment protection in Thailand.

The project of Southeast Asia Marine Environment Forecast and Disaster Warning System is jointly initiated by Qiao Fangli, a Chinese researcher, Somkiat Khokiattiwong, a Thai researcher, and Fredolin Tangang, a Malaysian professor. The project was officially approved by the 8th Intergovernmental Session of UNESCO/IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) in May 2010.

On October 11, 2013, in the presence of Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Yingluck, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Thailand's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vichet Kasemthongsri signed the Five-Year Plan for Maritime Cooperation in Bangkok, Thailand. OFS project was listed as one of the flagship cooperation projects. In October 2013, the two countries issued the Long-term Program on the Development of China-Thailand Relations, and clearly pointed out that they supported the establishment of marine environment monitoring and forecast systems in the South China Sea and Andaman Sea. In October 2013, Premier Li Keqiang proposed to set the China-ASEAN Cooperation Fund at the 16th China-ASEAN Summit, and also announced the launch of 17 projects including the Southeast Asia Marine Environment Forecast and Disaster Warning System.

After unremitting efforts, based on the wave-induced non-breaking turbulence, and the world's first wave-tide-circulating current coupling numerical mode developed independently by China, the Southeast Asia Marine Environment Forecast System was established, and with new theories and technologies, the ability to forecast the marine environment has been greatly improved. On July 17, 2015, in Phuket Island, the Thailand Marine Environment Forecast System was inaugurated by Chen Lianzeng, Deputy Director of former State Oceanic Administration, Wijam Simachaya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand. Since then, the system has been operational in Thailand.

On 17:45, July 5, 2018, on the way back to Phuket Island, two ships carrying 127 Chinese tourists were capsized by fierce gales and frightening surges near Coral Island and Meitong Island. After the accident, Wannakiat Thubthimsang, senior technical advisor of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, and Somkiat Khokiattiwong, vice chairperson of Comité Maritime International (CMI), promptly contacted Qiao Fangli, researcher of FIO, for technical support for the rescue work. Approved by MNR, members of the project summoned specialists to implement forecasts about the scope of the rescue that very night. Within 12 hours after the accident, the first forecast report was sent to Thai rescue headquarters. They provided marine environmental forecast products for the next 24 hours of the rescue area and prediction of drift range of persons overboard. And on 6:30 every morning, they completed rescue area environmental forecasts and drift range prediction for the next 24 hours.

At this meeting, Somkiat Khokiattiwong, former vice chairperson of CMI and director of Thailand-China Joint Laboratory for Climate and Marine Ecosystem, introduced the process of OFS providing forecasts to rescue. He emphasized, "All staffs participating in the rescue verify the reliability of the forecast system within the rescue scope provided." He once again extended his gratitude to China for the technical support and looked forward to long-term and in-depth cooperation with China.

In addition, Thailand Marine Environment Forecast System Mobile APP was jointly released by China and Thailand at this meeting. It is the first time in Southeast Asia for end-users to gain marine environmental predictions jointly developed by China and Thailand quickly and easily on a mobile phone.