Drone Rules in Thailand: Weight Bands, Height Limit and Registration

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.

Can you fly one? Yes, and the easy case is a hobby drone up to 2 kg: the operator must be over 18, or supervised by a legal representative. A heavier drone means registering, so weigh yours before you pack.

Which band is your drone in

Weigh the drone before you pack it, because the weight sets your age limit, registration and insurance. 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.

Flight limits

A hobby pilot flies in daylight, in sight of the drone, below 90 m and outside 9 km of an airport.

• 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.

Registration 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.

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. A drone over 25 kg needs a case-by-case application to the Director-General and written permission from the Transport Minister.

Filming and night flights

If you film or photograph with a drone, you fall in the other-purposes band, which needs registration and a qualified operator. A person who films or photographs with a drone must be at least 20, or be a company. A drone brought in for commercial use also needs CAAT permission.

Night flying is outside the basic conditions, which stop at sunset. CAAT runs a separate permit track for advanced operations, and night flying is one of them.

Bringing a drone as a tourist

Tourists can bring a drone into Thailand but cannot fly it until it is registered with NBTC or CAAT. Foreigners aged 18 or over send their documents to CAAT by email. Register before you arrive, because approval normally takes 1 to 2 weeks.

• 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.

If you travel visa-exempt and have no proof of residence yet, a copy of your immigration stamp can complete the registration.

Penalties

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.

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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. Whether a holiday video counts as a hobby flight or as filming is not spelled out.

General information checked against the sources listed above. Prices, opening hours and other details change; confirm them with the provider before you act. See how guides are checked.

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