Government urges public to report drone sightings near Suvarnabhumi

The government has urged the public to help report sightings of drones near Suvarnabhumi Airport, asking people to “observe, record evidence and report tips” if they spot drones in or around the airport area.

Siripong Angkasakulkiat, the Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson, said the Royal Thai Police are continuing intensive surveillance operations in areas near Suvarnabhumi under a “three-pillar” approach:

(1) prevention by enforcing the no-fly zone for drones;

(2) investigation and security, using an “observe–screen–report” model in which patrol officers use an app to screen suspicious objects and immediately report to the Metropolitan Police Drone Centre so rapid-response teams can intercept; and

(3) flight authorisation checks, integrating drone registration data from the NBTC and flight permission data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand to help identify drone types.

He said the public can also support police work by following three steps when spotting an object that looks like a drone:

1) Observe how a drone differs from an aircraft. Drones fly low, may hover in place, and can change direction quickly, while aircraft fly higher and move in a straight line along flight paths. Drones typically have fast-blinking multi-coloured lights (green, red, white), while aircraft lights blink in standard patterns. He added that the public can download Flightradar24, which includes a camera feature to identify aircraft with flight information; if no information appears, it may be a drone.

He also explained how drones differ from stars. Drones move relative to buildings or streetlights, while stars remain in the same position. Satellites move slowly in a straight line with steady white light, whereas drones show clearer coloured lights (green, red, white), not just white.

2) Record evidence by taking usable video: keep the camera as steady as possible, record for at least one minute, and capture the movement pattern clearly, focusing on the lights and direction of flight.

3) Report immediately if a suspicious drone is seen in a risk area or near aircraft take-off and landing paths, by calling 191 or the Metropolitan Police Drone Centre at 02-126-7846.

Siripong said the government is asking the public to act as extra eyes and ears and report any drone-like objects through the stated channels to strengthen monitoring and prevent potential incidents in advance.