Hydro-Informatics Institute Data Catalog (HII Open Data)

Overview

The Hydro-Informatics Institute (HII) Data Catalog is the open data portal of Thailand's Hydro-Informatics Institute, a public organization under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. It provides access to integrated water resource, weather, and environmental data collected from dozens of government agencies across Thailand.

History and Background

The HII was initiated between 1998 and 2002 to develop and integrate water information systems from five government agencies in Thailand, following an initiative of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej who recognized the importance of water resource management technology. The project, developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Office of the Royal Development Projects Board (RDPB), and the Thailand Research Fund (TRF), created the Thailand Integrated Water Resource Management (TIWRM) system. A formal Memorandum of Understanding was signed in January 2004 to establish the Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute (HAII). HII was officially established by Royal Decree in 2009, and subsequently reorganized in 2019 as the Hydro-Informatics Institute under its current Ministry. In 2025, HII won the Most Popular Open Data Award at International Open Data Day.

Collections and Data Offerings

The HII Data Catalog at data.hii.or.th aggregates water and weather data from 45 government agencies across Thailand. The National Hydroinformatics and Climate Data Center (NHC), developed by HII, integrates area-based data, statistical data, water situation data, forecasting models, and water management research. This data is also publicly accessible through the ThaiWater platform (thaiwater.net) and the ThaiWater mobile application. HII supports both normal operational water monitoring and crisis situations such as floods and droughts.

Access and Usage

The HII Data Catalog is freely accessible online at data.hii.or.th. An API and direct data download options are available. For formal data requests, institutions may submit a written request to the Director of HII specifying the data required and its purpose. HII's open data infrastructure has been adopted as a model for the ASEAN Hydroinformatics Data Centre (AHC), extending its framework to nine ASEAN member countries.