CAAT bans drone flights in 7 border provinces from December 9

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has issued Notification No.12 prohibiting the operation of unmanned aircraft (drones) in seven provinces along the Thai–Cambodian border and in areas where security operations are under way, citing national security and aviation safety. The ban takes effect from December 9, 2025 and will remain in force until further notice.

On December 8, CAAT announced “Notification No.12 on the prohibition of controlling or releasing unmanned aircraft (drones) in areas that may affect national security during the Thai–Cambodian border situation.”

The new order replaces an earlier, more relaxed Notification No.11, which had allowed drone use in limited cases under strict conditions. CAAT said that, after reviewing the situation with security agencies, the overall border situation has continued to escalate, potentially affecting the safety of security operations and people on the ground.

To reduce security risks and ensure that official operations can proceed safely and effectively, CAAT has tightened control on drone use by declaring no-fly areas and requiring that all civilian operations, for any purpose, comply with much stricter conditions.

Areas where drone flights are strictly prohibited

• Areas where troops are deployed or ground operations are being conducted at provincial level in seven provinces: Chanthaburi, Trat, Sa Kaeo, Buri Ram, Si Sa Ket, Surin and Ubon Ratchathani
• Areas where troops are deployed or ground operations are being conducted at district level in Sattahip district, Chon Buri province, and Ban Chang district, Rayong province
• Areas within a 9-kilometre (5-nautical-mile) radius of designated airports
• Any additional areas specifically declared by security agencies

Key conditions for permitted drone operations

Where operations are still allowed, the following conditions apply:

• The operator and the drone must be registered with CAAT correctly and in full.
• Operators must submit a flight permission request at least 3 days in advance via the UAS Portal application or uasportal.caat.or.th.
• Flights must not exceed 90 metres (300 feet) above ground level.
• Normal flight times are 06.00–18.00.

      - To fly between 04.01–05.59 or 18.01–24.00, operators must request an exemption via the              UAS Portal.

      - Drone flights are completely prohibited between 00.01–04.00 in all cases.

• Once permission is granted, operators must notify CAAT before every flight via the UAS Portal with details of location, date and time, and purpose. They must also notify the Anti-Drone Centre at [email protected].
• Any operation that deviates from the standard conditions requires a separate permission request and additional documents submitted via the UAS Portal.

Government drones

Drones operated by military, police, customs, Agriculture Ministry, Natural Resources Ministry and National Intelligence Agency may operate as required by their mandates.

However, customs, Agriculture Ministry and Natural Resources Ministry drones flying in restricted areas are requested to provide advance information via the UAS Portal / website and notify:

• Anti-Drone Centre at [email protected], and
• The relevant local security agency in the area.

Reporting illegal drones

Members of the public who see drone use that appears illegal or may pose a security risk in violation of this notification are urged to report: date, time, location, description of the drone, and any photos or video clips (if available) to one of the following:

• Unmanned Aircraft Standards and Technology Development Division, CAAT

      Tel: 02-568-8851 Email: [email protected]

• Anti-Drone Centre, Metropolitan Police Bureau

      Tel: 02-126-7846 Email: [email protected]

• Local incident centres, e.g. local police stations, military units or other responsible security agencies in the area.