Bangkok: Prepare to unlock agricultural drone flights after August 15th. Agricultural drone flights are set to be lifted after August 15th. Farmers will be required to register through the Civil Aviation Authority’s UAS Portal system, following concerns about the ease with which drones can reduce fertilizer and pesticide application costs and labor costs.

According to Thai News Agency, Rear Admiral Surasan Kongsiri, spokesman for the Thai-Cambodian Border Situation Administration (CBSA), revealed that drone use has been increasing recently. Under this situation, Thailand has banned drone flights nationwide. Security forces are continuing to strictly intercept, inspect, and investigate drones, as well as implement legal measures. This ban, which will remain in effect until August 15, 2025, is in effect, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand. However, yesterday’s CBSA meeting discussed easing restrictions on agricultural drone flights in certain areas after August 15th. The move is based on the view that farmers are in dire need of drones for agricultural purposes to reduce costs for fertilizing and spraying, as hiring human labor can be prohibitively expensive, reaching 400-500 baht per day. All agricultural drones must be registered.

The discussion focused on whether agricultural drones must be registered with the operator or aircraft controller and legally registered through the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand’s UAS Portal system. Flight operations are permitted only during the daytime, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Registration is free of charge. Further announcements regarding the relaxation of drone flight restrictions will be made to the public. It was emphasized that currently, purchasers of drones available on the market are required to register at the point of sale, similar to purchasing a mobile phone SIM card.