Where to register drones in Thailand?
If you travel with a drone, you’ll probably be aware of the difficulties that you face. It is getting harder in a lot of places to register drones, mostly due to a lack of clear cut information. This post will show you where to register drones in Thailand.
If you’re new to flying drones, I recommend checking out a few of my favourite Youtube channels about drones. They will teach you everything you need to know to get you up in the air.
For registering your drone in Thailand you will need to do it in 2 parts;
- Register online with CAAT (Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand).
- Register in person with NBTC (National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission).
This post will focus specifically on part 2.
I have also written a complete step by step guide that details how to register your drone in Thailand, both online with CAAT and then in person with NBTC using the locations mentioned in this post.
So if you’re having trouble with the application process in general then head over and check it out, it should be very helpful!
*Disclaimer
Affiliate links may be present on this page. These are links to websites such as Amazon, where if you decide to purchase something, then they will offer me a tiny commission. This comes at no extra cost to you and is just a way for me to try and support myself and the blog. I only link to the best of the best with careful consideration, thank you.
Having a drone will allow you to get pictures like this, from Phra Nang beach of the Railay Beach peninsular.
(Shot with the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and PolarPro filters).
All about NBTC
As show above, the NBTC stands for the National Broadcasting Authority of Thailand.
The reason you need to register your drone with them as well as the aviation authority, is due to the fact that the remote controllers of drones emit radio frequencies to control the drone.
You can visit their website here.
Where to register drones in Thailand with NBTC?
NBTC have 17 locations throughout Thailand, broken up into 4 zones. They say that you may register your drone in any of the 17 locations, but for most people this will be in one of the bolded locations below:
Area 1;
- Bangkok
- Chanthaburi
- Suphanburi
- Prachin Buri
Area 2;
- Ubon Ratchathani
- Khon Kaen
- Nakhon Ratchasima
- Udon Thani
Area 3;
- Lampang
- Chiang Mai
- Phitsanulok
- Chiang Rai
Area 4;
- Songkhla
- Phuket
- Nakhon Si Thammarat
- Ranong
- Chumphon
The reasons I bolded 3 locations is because these are the areas where the majority of tourism will be found, so they should have had plenty of experience in registering the drones and are more likely to speak good english.
What to take with you to NBTC?
In the forms below it is stated exactly what you have to bring with you when you go to the office to register your drone. Those things are;
- Photograph showing the drone serial number
- Photograph showing the remote conntroller serial number
- Photograph of front, back and side of drone (as required in the คท30 form)
- Booking confirmation or something showing the address where you’re staying
- A photocopy of your passport
- A completed คท32 form – Owner’s Declaration of Conformity
- A completed คท30 form – UAV’s Radio Equipment Registration
I personally would take the drone with me just in case, but it is not necessary and they don’t ask for it.
*UPDATE 24/04/2020
I registered my drone in the Phuket office, they did ask to see the drone, which I had with me anyway, but the paperwork says you don’t need it so I don’t think not having it will cause you any issues.
They also only wanted 2 photos from me, one showing the drone, with the serial number clearly visible and not blurry. Then a second of the remote controller, again with the serial number clearly visible.
I still recommend taking every photo that they ask for on the paperwork, in case you have a more stringent person, or a new person who isn’t sure what to do etc.
The map of where to register drones in Thailand
Things to note about the map
For all of these locations I used their official website, the part that separates the 4 different regions.
I did this for my own benefit as well as yours. With all of these locations in one spot it is much easier to know where to register drones in Thailand. Otherwise you will need to spend hours trying to collate all the information into one easy to navigate resource.
Their website is frustrating to use, with the addresses listed not matching anything in Google Maps. I then had to visit the individual regional NBTC posts in the search for more precise maps. This process took ages, the information was poor anf translations were needed.
However I managed to find all the information I needed, except…
There are two locations on this map that are not pinpoint accurate!
Those areas are;
- Chiang Rai
- Prachinburi
The reason was, I simply couldn’t find them anywhere, the information is missing even for the regional websites. The maps were blurry, unable to be zoomed out, or simply non-existent.
Every other pinpoint is accurate to within 50m, unless the information provided by their own websites are out of date.
Closing words
Anyway, I hope this helps clarify where to register drones in Thailand, if you’re out in a regional area maybe you are lucky enough to have one near you!
I will update this post after early February once I have completed the process, giving you the entire rundown of insurance, CAAT forms, the NBTC process and anything else I discover as I go.
Having a drone can reap benefits in places like Ao Nang, with photos like this from Tiger Cave Temple.
If flying at religious sites, wait until everyone has left or stopped praying. The drone can’t be heard for the majority of the flight so long as you keep your distance.
(Shot with the DJI Mavic 2 Pro).