Drone Rules Thailand: 2 kg and 25 kg Bands, 90 m Limit

A hobby drone up to 2 kg needs an operator over 18, or a supervising guardian. Above 2 kg and up to 25 kg you must register, be at least 20 and hold THB 1,000,000 of third-party insurance. Hobby flights stay under 90 m and 9 km from airports.

By Vincent Nguyen and team

Weigh the drone before you pack it. The Transport Ministry notice of 2015 splits hobby drones at 2 kg and again at 25 kg. The band sets the age limit, the registration step and the insurance.

Drone weight bands in Thailand

Hobby drones fall in two bands, up to 2 kg and over 2 kg up to 25 kg. Every other purpose forms one band up to 25 kg.

The other-purposes band lists press and traffic reporting, photography and filming, research and development, and any other purpose. Small toy aircraft that count as toys under a 2005 regulation are outside the notice. The Gazette printed the notice on 27 August 2015 and it took effect the next day.

Flight limits for every hobby flight

A hobby pilot flies in daylight, in sight of the drone, below 90 m and outside 9 km of an airport. The notice sets these limits for drones up to 2 kg, and registered drones over 2 kg keep most of them. The CAAT guidance of 2022 restates the sight, daylight and height conditions.

• Sight: you must see the drone at all times, and flying by camera or goggles alone is banned.
• Daylight: fly between sunrise and sunset.
• Height: stay under 90 m (300 ft) above the ground.
• Airports: stay beyond 9 km (5 nautical miles) of an airport or temporary landing place, unless the owner or operator allows it.
• People, drone up to 2 kg: keep 30 m (100 ft) horizontally from people, vehicles and buildings.
• People, registered drone over 2 kg: keep 50 m (150 ft) from those not involved.
• Crowds: no flying over towns, villages, communities or places where people gather.
• Restricted areas: prohibited, restricted and danger areas, government sites and hospitals are closed unless the area owner allows entry.
• Land: get permission from the owner of the land you fly from.
• Cargo and privacy: no hazardous goods or lasers on board, and no flying that violates others’ privacy.

Registration, insurance and age for drones over 2 kg

A hobby drone over 2 kg and up to 25 kg may be flown once the operator qualifies and registers. The operator must be at least 20. A person with a final prison sentence under the drug law or the customs law does not qualify.

1. Buy insurance covering third-party injury, death and property damage, at least THB 1,000,000 per incident.
2. File the registration application with the Director-General, with a copy of your ID card or passport and the other listed documents.
3. Carry the registration letter on every flight.
4. Carry a working fire extinguisher on every flight.
5. Renew at least 30 days before the letter expires.

A registration letter is valid for 2 years from the day it is issued.

Drones over 25 kg

A drone over 25 kg needs a case-by-case application to the Director-General. You may fly it only after written permission from the Transport Minister.

Photography, filming and other purposes

Drones up to 25 kg flown for press, filming or other purposes also need registration and a qualified operator. A person who photographs or films with a drone must be at least 20. A company can qualify if its representatives and managers meet the same conditions.

A drone brought into Thailand for commercial use also needs CAAT permission.

Night flights and other advanced operations

CAAT runs a separate permit track for advanced unmanned flight operations. Night flying is one of them, with its own guidance document. The basic conditions stop at sunset.

Aerial photography operations are on the same advanced list. The guidance applies from 1 January 2023.

Bringing a drone to Thailand as a tourist

Tourists can bring a drone into Thailand but cannot fly it until it is registered with NBTC or CAAT. The Royal Thai Embassy route for foreigners aged 18 or over runs by email to CAAT.

• A copy of your valid passport.
• A copy of a work permit, residence proof, visa or immigration stamp, whichever applies.
• Insurance details covering third-party injury, death and property damage of at least THB 1,000,000.
• The drone weight in kilograms to 3 decimal places on the form.

Approval normally takes 1 to 2 weeks, so register before you arrive. If you travel visa-exempt and have no proof of residence yet, a copy of your immigration stamp can complete the registration.

The NBTC route asks for a signed passport copy, a photo and the serial number of the drone, and two copies of the completed form. The minimum age for drones over 2 kg is 20, so a younger pilot should stay in the light band.

Penalties and temporary flight bans

NBTC announced that all drones in Thailand need registering, with up to 5 years in jail or a fine of up to THB 100,000 for failing to do so. CAAT issued an urgent notification banning every type of drone flight across the entire country.

That ban ran from 30 July 2025 until 15 August 2025. Breaking it carried up to 1 year in prison, a fine of up to THB 40,000, or both.

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Not confirmed: Customs rules for bringing a drone into Thailand are unconfirmed, so ask your airline and Thai customs before you travel. The NBTC registration steps come from embassy pages and may have changed. Whether a holiday video counts as a hobby flight or as filming is not spelled out.

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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