Drone regulations in Thailand (2023)

If you want to fly a drone in Thailand, you will have to take some hurdles. In this article, I explain to you the conditions you have to fulfill.

In recent years, the rules for drone pilots in Thailand have changed quite often. This creates a lot of confusion and not all the information you can find on the internet is up to date. I am trying to give you a current and complete overview of the legal situation in the Kingdom.

First of all, if you are caught drone-flying without the necessary permits, you face high fines and even imprisonment. Thai prisons are not fun!

For most camera drones, you need two registrations: First, from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), which handles the frequencies used by the drone. Second, by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), which registers all drone pilots.

So far it is not possible to complete the registrations before going to Thailand. This means you will need some luck to get your documents in time. In the following I explain to you how the procedures at NBTC and CAAT work.

Overview: Drone rules in Thailand

Recreational use of drones allowed? Yes, after registration or approval
Commercial use of drones permitted? Yes, after registration or approval
Maximum Altitude:90 Meter (295,3 Fuß) in uncontrolled airspace.
Is drone insurance mandatory? Yes, for private and commercial drone flights. Learn more about drone insurance here.
Does the drone need a badge?No.
Drone labels can be ordered here
Is a registration necessary? Yes.
Keep distance to airports
Respect the privacy of other people
Contact information

CAAT: 0066 (0) 2568 8815

[email protected]

Registration of drones in Thailand

In total, you need three documents to fly legally in Thailand: drone insurance, NBTC registration and CAAT registration. You should have these documents with you during all drone flights.

Get insurance

The insurance confirmation should be in English and contain the following data:

  • full name of the policyholder
  • brand, model, serial number and weight of the insured drone(s)
  • validity in Thailand must be clear
  • insurance coverage of at least THB 1 million (approx. EUR 30,000)

Register with the NBTC

Before the Corona pandemic, you had to go to one of the NBTC offices to register. Fortunately, this process has finally been digitized, so you can at least prepare this step before your trip to Thailand.

First you create an account here. After your email address has been confirmed, you can enter your contact details and your address in Thailand. However, the actual registration of your drone requires a photo of the entry stamp you receive in your passport upon arrival. Therefore, you can only complete the NBTC registration in the country.

The cost of drone registration with the NBTC is about 200 baht and must be deposited at a Thai bank. A good place to start is Krung Thai Bank. The deposit of the NBTC fee cannot be done at all Thai banks.

If you fail to register with the NBTC and are caught by the police, you could face up to five years in prison or a fine of 100,000 THB (approx. 3,000 euros).

Register with the CAAT

You have to register your drone with the CAAT if it has a camera/recording equipment or – if it does not have recording equipment – weighs more than 2 kg.

You can only register with the CAAT once you have the approval of the NBTC. Since summer 2018, registration has been possible via the online platform uav.caat.or.th.

The relevant fields have been translated into English so that you should be able to fill out the forms quite easily. You will have to provide a lot of personal information during the process. In addition, you have to upload a signed self-declaration, a picture of the drone with the serial number on it and proof of your drone insurance. In addition, the CAAT requires a copy of your passport with the entry stamp. Several of our readers received rejections due to the lack of proof of entry. This means that you can only register once you have already entered the country.

Update: Since February 2022, we have repeatedly received feedback that the CAAT has accepted the registration even before entry and without confirmation from the NBTC. Instead of the photo with the entry stamp, some applicants uploaded a photo of their passport again and this was accepted. However, there are still other experiences. We still encourage you to try the CAAT before your trip and keep us informed about your experiences. Thank you very much for doing so!

After you have submitted the complete documents, the CAAT will check your application and carry out a background check with several security authorities to ensure that you have not yet committed any legal violations in Thailand. Since this can be very time-consuming, you have to expect a long processing time. The CAAT writes on its website that you will receive a notification within 15 working days. In practice, it can be shorter, but it can also take much longer. The good news is that if your registration was successful, it is valid for two years.

If you are caught flying without CAAT registration, you face up to 1 year imprisonment and / or 40,000 THB penalty (approx. 1,200 euros).

Frequently asked questions about drone rules in Thailand

I would like to answer the questions most commonly asked in the comments here:

  1. Do I have to register my DJI Spark / DJI Mavic Pro / … for my Thailand vacation?
    Yes, because these drones have a camera. You can find more information above.
  2. I am only visiting Thailand in transit and do not want to start my drone in the country. Can I get in trouble if I have no registration?
    There should be no problems. Customs are not interested in drones, and the registrations are only required for the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles. However, there may be issues if the authorities get the impression that you want to resell the drone in Thailand (for example, if you import the drone in its original sealed packaging).
  3. I am flying to Thailand in a few weeks/days and would like to take my drone with me. Now I have read that I have to register. What can I do now?
    You should take out drone liability insurance and collect the above documents. At the moment you can only register if you are already in Thailand. But keep in mind that processing your application can take weeks and you may not receive your permits in time if you are in the country for only a short vacation.
  4. How long does it take to register with the CAAT?
    This varies and also seems to depend on the number of current applications. You can avoid a very long processing time by submitting all documents on time. Please keep in mind that processing at CAAT will only begin once you have approval from the NBTC.

Further regulations for operating multicopters in Thailand

After you have successfully registered yourself and your drone, there are of course other rules to follow

If you want to fly privately and no camera is mounted on your drone, the maximum take-off weight is 2 kg. With a higher weight you need approval from the CAAT. Drones weighing 25 kilograms or more need a separate permit from the Ministry of Transport.

Commercial pilots need permission for their flight maneuvers.

Safety distances and flight bans

You have to keep a distance of 9 kilometers (= 5 miles) to airports.

You can’t get closer than 50 meters to people, vehicles and buildings.

You must not fly near crowds of people. Flying over cities and villages is not allowed. Also avoid government buildings and hospitals.

You must always obtain permission from the property owner to take off and land. In practice, we usually solve this by asking the guards for permission or by asking at the information desk.

Your drone must always be kept within visual line of sight.

Drone flights are only allowed in daylight in Thailand, i.e. between sunrise and sunset.

The Thai rules also stipulate that you have an emergency plan. This includes having to carry a fire extinguisher with you. We have not yet found out whether this rule is enforced.

Good to know: Flights in Chiang Mai must be generally approved by air traffic control because the airport is so close to the city. We have obtained the appropriate permission. But you should call a few days before so that the people in the tower can coordinate with their bosses. Also, for flights over the historic park of Ayutthaya, approval is necessary. The Historical Park Office grants the permission, which is open daily from 8:30 to 16:30. According to the tourist information, the permit costs 5,000 baht.

We have researched the listed drone regulations for Thailand to the best of our knowledge. We cannot guarantee the correctness of the information. If you want to be on the safe side, contact the Thai aviation authority. Alternatively, you can also ask the Thai embassy in your country for further information about the regulations. Please leave us a comment when you receive news and/or gain experience with your copter in Thailand!

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About the author

Since January 2015, we travel around the world. In our backpack we carry a camera drone which we use to capture the best places from a bird’s perspective. First we travelled with a DJI Phantom 2. But now we use several drones like the DJI Phantom 4 Pro+ or the DJI Mini 3 Pro. On our blog we share the best tips for you about travelling with a drone. If you have questions about this article or new information, don’t hesitate to leave us a comment!

Discussions

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  • idan | 19.10.2017

    what about removing the Gimbel before flying to Thailand and and reassemble once arrived?
    it will be a drone without a camera and less than 2kg
    disassemble it take around 5-10 .
    will it work? and save me the trouble of getting all the documents? i will not have time to get all the permits until i’ll fo there

    • Majew | 22.10.2017

      I think your companion should carry the gimbal.

    • SPREX 64 | 03.01.2018

      bonsoir !
      Pas de CAAT si Catégorie 1A -2kg sans camera par contre
      Enregistrement Telecom obligatoire aussi NBTC ou en police pour ces derniers il faut amener le formulaire( Thai)

  • Majew | 22.10.2017

    Form 25.10. to 29.10. nobody may fly a drone in Thailand! !!

    • Maarten | 22.10.2017

      Just went to the local police-station. Filled out a form, gave a copy of my passporr, insurance-paper and done.
      They gave me a stamped copy of the form as proof.
      It is that simple.

      By the way, anyone may HAVE a drone. You just can’t fly it, so stop worrying about customs and removing cameras etc.
      Just come to Thailand, with your drone. Stop at a police-station and register it.
      All you need is proof of insurance that mentions brand, model, weight and seriak nr.

      • Melissa | 12.12.2017

        That sound easy enough, so can you please tell me if the insurance company you been posting about is reliable?

  • Allan | 22.10.2017

    Unfortunately at the moment CAAT are still insisting that any drone/uav with a camera needs registering with them. Doesn’t matter if it is Hobby or commercial usage. That takes at least 2 months and you need insurance coverage for minimum 1 million baht that lists your name plus brand, model, serial number and weight. Not many insurance companies list these things on a 3rd party liability insurance.

    • Maarten | 22.10.2017

      Allen, Dat info is NOT correct.
      You can register at: CAAT (aviation) or NBTC (airwaves) or ANY police-station.
      This is the Thai law as of October 2017.

      You do need insurance and the insurance document must list Make, Model, Weight and Serial Nr of the drone. This is prety standard.

      The IDRA has insurance for anyone. Their is also a German company listed but they only take Germans.

      This is the correct info. I know cause I did it.

      • Majew | 22.10.2017

        You got this information from CAAT? I got a different! You need CAAT permission and registering at any policestation.

        • Maarten | 23.10.2017

          No. I got this information from the goverment.
          CAAT is no longer in charge of drone-registration. NBTC has taken this duty over and so, their game, their rules.
          Either way, I don’t care. I have a piece of paper, stamped and signed by the police. That is enough for me.

          • Melissa | 12.12.2017

            Hello Maarten, thank you so much for your use full information, over all of this months, really helps that you have questions and investigate, could you please let me know if I don’t speak the language, how can I ask for the form you took to the police station.
            will you recommend me to do it in Bangkok? I didn’t even know you have some restrictions with this, I got it because I love photography and I took it as an extra tool for that and realize to late that is so restricted, probably for bad use of some people.
            I will appreciate your answer.

  • Juan | 22.10.2017

    Hi guys, I did applied for the license with (in June) CAAT and got it after almost 3 and half months.
    My Personal experience doing the process is that all Drones from spark to Matrice and similar need to have license (permission) to fly.
    I did it because I like to fly a lot.
    The best is to contact directly to CAAT by email the email I contacted is this: “[email protected]” the person in charge is very friendly and speak English very well.
    NBTC and police stations are just collecting information not giving license.
    As people mentioned we need to have Drone insurance to get license, I know they are a couple of them check them out and take the best, I paid THB5600 per one year insurance.
    Drone license is valid for two years and need to be renovated 30 days before expiration.
    hope this help some how

  • siri | 22.10.2017

    All camera drone need drone registration and controller registration with insurance + personal profile prove ( minimal 45 day for three organization data searching ) . For during the Royal Cremation Ceremony of the former King, Oct 25-29th, no personal drone allow flying over Bangkok 19 Km in radius ( https://www.caat.or.th/en/archives/27871 ).
    –> No fly zone https://magiapp.me/thnfz/
    –> Laws http://www.bangkokvideoproductions.com/film-equipment-hire/aerial-filming-photography-in-thailand/thailand-uav-drone-regulations-laws

  • Allan | 23.10.2017

    You need to check again. The NBTC registration goes together with the CAAT registration. NBTC are no longer passing the details to CAAT. But registration with CAAT they pass the information to NBTC. It is typically Thailand. There are several people with court cases against the CAAT presently as the 2015 Drone act states Hobby usage and implies commercial usage. The problem seemingly is the word commercial wasn’t written in the text, but by reading it the implication is very obvious. Cut a long story short; at present you need to register any and all drones over 250g with the NBTC. If it has a recording camera then you also need to get insurance and registration at CAAT.

  • Juan Bodan | 24.10.2017

    Thank you Allan, called NBTC and CAAT, both told me is Drone is registered and got licensed approved already with CAAT no need to do anything else

    • Allan | 26.10.2017

      That’s strange because if your Drone has a camera then CAAT definitely want you to register with them and have 1million baht public liability insurance. This is directly from the CAAT via messenger from their Facebook page:

      Drone with camera need to be registered.
      What is needed for UAV registration:
      1. Form of Consent to the Disclosure of Personal Information
      2. UAV Registration Application Form
      3. You need to have the insurance paperwork which covers damages caused to the body, life and properties of the third parties. The minimum sum insured is not less than 1 Million bath per time.

      What should be mentioned on insurance paperwork are:
      – UAV Brand
      – UAV Model
      – **UAV Serial Number**
      – UAV Weight
      – Your name as an insured on the paperwork as well
      – Please also mention if this insurance policy will be covered in Thailand or Worldwide

      4. Copy of your passport

      **It will be helpful if you can provide insurance paperwork in English to reduce approval wait times**.

      For your information, you should plan ahead before you bring your UAV to Thailand. When you register for UAV, I will send your personal information to National Intelligence Agency, Immigration Bureau and Office of Narcotics Control. It will take approximately up to 60 days to get the result before I can process the approval.

      https://www.caat.or.th/en/archives/27220

      I don’t agree with them because we are Hobby flyers not commercial so Don’t require registering at CAAT or the high insurance, but currently they are sticking to their interpretation of the law.

  • Brie | 26.10.2017

    In Thailand now. Went to see my lawyer about this issue. He called CAAT personally for me and the short answer is that if you register you must get insurance with liability up to 1 million baht. You can email the form and proof of insurance to CAAT. I called my insurance company in Thailand and they quoted 3000 baht (just under $100) for 1 year. That’s the lowest I’ve seen. I own the Mavic Pro which is under 2kg but has a camera. Anyone who downloads the application from the CAAT website and needs translation to English should check out Richard Barrows posts. He lives inn thailand and has a blog that walks you through every step.
    Also, I went through customs and even got selected to have my luggage opened and no one cared about my drone.
    I decided to fly in my area of Thailand (south of Pattaya) where local police aren’t too savvy about Drine regulations. It was a secluded beach so no worries but I got a message on my Mavic saying local regulations apply and my drone was severely limited on elevation and distance. So, I guess Mavic adopts local regulations.
    Anyway, register or not, just use common sense!

    • SPREX 64 | 03.01.2018

      et surtout respectez la carte AIP et pour Pataya allez voir c’est interdit curieux tout le monde papote et ont oublié de consulter l’AIP
      la loi drone à l’article 5 (2) le text spécifie que les 3 zone de warning VTP/VTR/VTD sont interdit de vol drone c’est exactement comme en France il y une carte ….

  • Juan Bodan | 26.10.2017

    Hi guys with all respect Richard Barrow and Francis DO NOT HAVE LICENSE YET, However, LUCKY for Us they do provide Valuable information, at the moment police might not be savvy but they will be (money rewards)

    Is better to paid around $100 or 150 per a year or two than keep feeding the cops with few thousands every time they catch you, use common sense

    By the way I have license (permissions) to fly I did it in June since I like to fly around.

    My apologies if I offended anyone, we are here to discuss and solve the isssues of a messy law

  • Majew | 26.10.2017

    In that moment, when police know about the up to100.000THB penalty for flying without permission, you can be sure you will loose a lot of money when they catch you! And you will stay in prison untill you pay. For example: my friend was controlled with 0,08 thousandth too much alkohol. He went to policeprison for 2 nights without food and bed. And he paid 10.000THB beside the penalty to get his papers and motorbike back.

  • Jp K | 27.10.2017

    Hey, so I plan to be in Thailand early February. I have been reading the comments since July 2017. I get that you have to register and get insurance. I don’t understand where the form is since the link on this site is dead when I click it, and how do I get insurance? Is there any step by step guide to doing this? I have a little over three months but from what I have read the waiting period is long and the laws are confusing. This js my first vacation with my mavic, and ideally I want to use it to record my travels. Any help would be great, from what I can see, I need to contact someone but don’t know who. I already email Vietnam Aviation Authority this week, heard nothing so far. Context will be in Vietnam first then Thailand. Any help is much appreciated.

    • Juan Bodan | 28.10.2017

      p K. Here is the link to CAAT, all forms are there https://www.caat.or.th/en
      However will suggest you to contact insurance and they will do license too, the link bellow did for me few months ago
      http://www.dronethaiinsurance.com
      I know they are other insurance companies too but I don’t know them just letting you know how I did and the best way of doing it, I know that Insurance conpany has forms in English from CAAT, I think they did the translation, good luck

  • Eddy | 27.10.2017

    can anybody upload a copy (hide the name of course) of how the insurance policy for the drones look like?
    i got a quote from some agency but the paper looked very shady.

  • Juan Bodan | 27.10.2017

    If there is any way to upload will do for the insurance and license, but there isn’t that option

    • Eddy | 27.10.2017

      Dropbox, Google drive, fotki, indeed, pbase
      And share the link, it will be much appreciated Juan

      • Eddy | 27.10.2017

        Unsee not indeed

      • Juan Bodan | 27.10.2017

        Sure Eddy will do once I am home, need email to share Dropbox folder, please sent email, cheers

        • Eddy | 27.10.2017

          Ingaid29 @ Gmail . com thank you Juan

          • Juan Bodan | 27.10.2017

            Check your email Eddy

          • Eddy | 27.10.2017

            Thank you Juan, where did you get the insurance from?

  • Juan Bodan | 27.10.2017

    Jp K. Here is the link to CAAT, all forms are there https://www.caat.or.th/en
    However will suggest you to contact insurance and they will do license too, the link bellow did for me few months ago
    http://www.dronethaiinsurance.com
    I know they are other insurance companies too but I don’t know them just letting you know how I did and the best way of doing it, I know that Insurance conpany has forms in English from CAAT, I think they did the translation, good luck

  • Juan Bodan | 28.10.2017

    There are few of them but I personally got it here
    http://www.dronethaiinsurance.com/plan.html

    • Jp K | 29.10.2017

      Hey, thanks for this, any chance there is an english translation? Google can’t seem to translate the file.

      Thanks.

      • Juan Bodan. | 29.10.2017

        Jo k, email them the do speak English

  • Majew | 28.10.2017

    My advice ( like I did): make an insurance in your country with worldwide validity and english written. They will accept when You send a copy by postletter together with their and your copies/ formulars to CAAT! In my case I got 1.500000€ sum insured for about 100€ (from Germany). Much better than the Thai insurance! Ask them only on telefon – not email!

    • Juan Bodan | 28.10.2017

      Hi Majew, I did everything by email, only when license was approved they gave me the option to pick it up or get it by post, but other ways should work too

      • Majew | 28.10.2017

        Okay, but some people had to wait long time for an answer, same me. Do you live in Thailand?

        • Juan Bodan | 28.10.2017

          Yes majew I live in Thailand, they told me 2 months but it took 3 and half months, I did few email between those periods asking for the progress

          • Majew | 29.10.2017

            Did they send a letter or an email?

    • Eddy | 30.10.2017

      So I will only need insurance when coming to Thailand according to what you are saying? And then go to the police of course?

    • Jp K | 30.10.2017

      So I can’t get insurance from my country. Canada only has commercial UAV insurance no personal insurance. So I guess I would have to try a provider from Thailand right?

  • Adam West | 28.10.2017

    Short answer for all those wondering… Thailand IS a third world country that is as corrupt as it gets with a sometimes violent near feudal society. They are backwards in every way. Unfortunately I am stuck with it having married into it. It’s the place you will love to hate but still love it anyway…. You really need to know someone or grease the wheel to get things done.

    • Juan Bodan | 29.10.2017

      Adam, yes if you know someone and willing to paid every two years, more than necessary, everywhere money talks

  • Ken | 28.10.2017

    I’m still trying to find insurance. I live in the USA and every company I have talk to requires a FAA part 107 Certification (for professionals). I also tried IDRA, as I stated above, but they seem to be a scam. Anyone know where to get international drone insurance in the USA without a Part 107, for use in Thailand?

    • Juan Bodan | 29.10.2017

      Ken, the FAA in USA is trying to educate all people flying an object about many things, a lots of fly away are related with wind (not all of them them) influenced by clouds etc, also about clasificación of air space and so on, yes they found a way to squeeze money from whoever wants to fly

      Thailand is a bit more relaxed in that sense, just get insurance and apply for license, if not any criminal records found you are granted permission.
      At least with all the hassle we are able to fly, some countries don’t allow to fly at all

    • Christopher | 15.11.2017

      Why do you think IDRA is a scam ? I registered my drone with them and they sent me a certificate of insurance as expected.

      • Melissa | 12.12.2017

        Hello Christopher, could you please tell me, how long took you to receive this insurance paper work?

  • Jp K | 28.10.2017

    Can someone link me to the registration forms and recommend an insurance company they used in Thailand?

    I can’t seem to find anything on the NBTC site, and they have no email to contact them to, only a phone # and office map.

    Thanks in advance

  • Majew | 29.10.2017

    https://www.caat.or.th/en/archives/27220
    Here you will find the 2 formulars. Insurance you shoud take at your home.

  • Juan Bodan | 29.10.2017

    Majew, once license is approved they will sent you two pieces of paper one harder than the other regular paper, by post ( in Thailand ) or the option to pick it up at CAAT , I don’t know if you are abroad, all that is free ( except insurance)

    • Majew | 29.10.2017

      I live near Udonthani. CAAT told me at telefon that I would have the permission, but any boss still must sign. Now waiting for this signatur since weeks. This boss seem to have very much work.

      • eric ford | 02.11.2017

        All government offices in Thailand have one boss who has to sign everything, and no-one to do it if they are away. They all have huge egos from this power to f*** people around and hope to get backhanders to oil the works.

        • Juan Bodan | 02.11.2017

          Eric ford I waited for three signatures to be filled and after 3 and half months things were done, got an emai, license approved and the rest is history, at least we aren’t paying for it (except insurance) and if we want to fly in this land we need to complied with rules.

  • Eddy | 29.10.2017

    I like this book my flights 1-2 weeks before I actually go, so caat is a problem for me.
    If I got the insurance I can basically register in any police station as far as i understand, right?

    • Majew | 29.10.2017

      This will not be enough! Maybe the Police will not make problems, but if you produce an accident you will have very big trouble. Read here:
      https://www.caat.or.th/en/archives/27220

      • Eddy | 30.10.2017

        But I understood that caat is not in charge any more. Insurance and police approval will be enough as long I follow the rules of course. No?

    • Eddy | 30.10.2017

      It’s not in Thailand

      • Juan Bodan | 30.10.2017

        Right not in Thailand, but is showing how awful can get in here too, without proper papers

        • ricardo cardoso | 18.12.2017

          they were flying around “government’s parliament buildings”

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