DRONE permission in Thailand | ULTIMATE GUIDE 2023 | in 4 steps

[@phelipecarmo2608]

Thanks a lot

[@Jimbo-in-Thailand]

👍👍 Very good info! I have flown my drones at Ao Nang-Krabi in the past and it is beautiful. I wanted to fly my Mini 1 around Poda, Chicken, and local Islands a couple of years ago but they told me I could not since it's part of the national park system. I'm happy to know that I can get a permit to fly over this gorgeous area. I just bought a Mini 4 Pro and have bought the required 3rd-party insurance and gone through both NBTC and CAAT (Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand) registration. I now have NBTC permit but am waiting for the also required CAAT permit. Hopefully it will arrive this week. Happy New Year from Isaan!

[@drone_away_]

Thank you so much for your feedback. That happened with us too, we went there and wanted to fly but the guards stopped us. After it we spent almost 2hours with the locals on the island to understand their rules and find a solution which was the permission from the national park. You only need the NBTC registration. Nobody hasn’t asked us for a CAAT permission. For example when we were on Phra Nang beach, the guards also asked for the local and the government permission, we showed the NBTC and the National Parks permission and they said, enjoy your flight and stay away from the crowds. :) So, do not wait for your CAAT permission. 🤗

[@Jimbo-in-Thailand]

@@drone_away_ You're quite welcome and thanks for the quick reply! Officially, it's a mandatory 100,000 baht fine, including possible 1 year in jail, for flying without 3 things: EDIT: 1.) The NBTC Certificate of Registration letter, meaning that both the drone and controller specs comply with the maximum allowable radio transmission output power. 2.) Proof of 3rd-party coverage insurance which must include 1 million baht liability insurance to protect others in case of an accident. EDIT: 3.) CAAT Certificate of Registration EDIT: The CAAT registration process is even worse than NBTC because it requires more information. It only took 2-3 days for me to receive the NBTC letter, but it took 1 week for CAAT approval. I was told it may take up to 2 weeks for CAAT to approve the registration, that is, if there are no errors, etc., in the application. Last week I called CAAT customer service to inquire about my registration. The agent informed me that I must not fly until I receive the CAAT approval. EDIT: Unlike NBTC, CAAT did not notify me that my registration was successful. Logging into CAAT's webpage and clicking on History, then PRINT I found the approved Certificate of Registration document. LOL I'm a bit surprised that you were only asked to show your NBTC letter in order to fly. OTOH every foreigner I've met here during the past 18 years seems to have a different visa story so I'm certainly not shocked at your different drone flying experience here.😁

[@lulubells182]

Dear Friends, thank you for the amazing video! There are very few videos explaining all this. Do I need a Licence to obtain the permit for the National Parks? It is on the document requirements.

[@TheiPhoneCam]

Where are the main offices of the national parks? Like for Maya Bay / Phi Phi Island for example

[@MrSeanroberts1969]

I was there a couple of weeks ago and even with insurance , licenses and permission to fly I was still told i couldn't fly in the national park areas by the rangers. I hardly ended up flying at all.

[@0oo033]

Hi, thanks for the informations but what about an fpv drone (so, no id number) of less than 250g?

[@user-em8ot9lm8m]

Do i need to get permission from CAAT? Get drone insurance?

[@AUnsgaard56]

good video, have one question. When you get permission from NBTC, can this be sent by mail or do you have to show up at their office? We will be staying in Ao Nang, and it is a bit far to go to Phuket to pick up the permit.

[@drone_away_]

Hello, Thank you so much!:) You can download it from the NBTC website.🤗

[@seansantoscoy9731]

Hi great video thank you! im doing the registration on the NBTC but i keep getting this error when I put the serial number in -Warning! The serial number was not found in the NBTC's database system. Please contact the supplier. any ideas? Im pulling it straight from the rc - thanks

[@lopstream]

Im just having this problem did you get a solution?

[@joaoramos32]

Do I need to get insurance even if my drone is sub 250 grams? Great video, thanks in advance

[@MrSeanroberts1969]

yes, at least 1 million baht along with the licenses

[@dionandkimx]

Thank you! This is soo helpful! For the islands permit, how much does it cost? And does one permit cover all of the islands?

[@drone_away_]

Hey! Unfortunately not. For example the mentioned Hat Noppharat National Park, it covers only the Krabi region including the Phi Phi islands, but not including Hong Island. James Bond Island is also in another National Park, that is the reason why we don’t have drone shots from there. The permission from the NBTC was useless when We’ve been there and tried to fly with drone. Of course You can take the risk everywhere to fly without permission but for us there is no way on earth to do that.

[@dionandkimx]

@@drone_away_ okay.. this is tough! Was it relatively easy to also get the drone permit from the national park? Sounds like such a hassle!

[@drone_away_]

@@dionandkimx Absolutely, If you have the permission from the government everyone is so helpful, except of the guards in the National Park if the notice you are flying with your drone. But that is why they are there to keep the rules.

[@dionandkimx]

@@drone_away_ okay! We'll look into it some more, thanks so much for sharing!!

[@drone_away_]

@@dionandkimxYour welcome 🙏

[@MrArab-we2lf]

Hello im from India, im going Thailand for 7 days . Can i apply for drone permit before arrive Thailand...? And if my drone under 250gm am i need to permit or not...? And how many days it takes to complete whole process..? Can u please explain

[@drone_away_]

Hello, You have to get permission for every drone in Thailand. You can apply in advance but you can do the payment when you are in Thailand except of If you have a local friend Who has Krungthai Bank account to make a bank transfer to the provided bank account. In the best case if you pay the fee on your arrival date, on the next day you will get the license via email.

[@drone_away_]

Sorry, I need to correct my comment. Today I also tried to apply to a new permission but to send it to NBTC you need to attach your VISA. So it means you can start the application when you arrived to Thailand.

[@MrArab-we2lf]

@@drone_away_ Thank you so much. Actually I'm going for 7days, is it possible to get permission under 2 days if I apply after arrive. because I'll explore different places in these 7 days.

[@drone_away_]

@@MrArab-we2lf If you are lucky, Yes. You should apply on the same day when you arrive, make sure before noon. Find a Krungthai Bank branch in advance to be ready when you got the bill from NBTC. If you can pay the bill on the next morning you will get the permission on that day. But be aware, in the National Parks you need to have specific permission from the National Park itself.