Thai–Cambodia dispute must be settled through bilateral talks: NSC
Thailand tightens drone controls after sightings near airports and borders
- Thailand has designated controlled areas around airports, borders, and other critical sites in response to unauthorized drone sightings.
- Urgent measures include fast-tracking the procurement of anti-drone systems, tightening controls on drone imports, and coordinating multiple agencies to support police operations.
- The public has been warned of severe penalties for flying drones in restricted zones, which could include the death penalty for serious offenses threatening national security.
- A long-term plan involves establishing a national counter-drone management center, led by the Royal Thai Air Force, to unify and coordinate anti-drone efforts.
At Government House, Chatchai Bangchaud, Secretary-General of the National Security Council (NSC), and Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet, the National Police Chief, jointly briefed the media on the outcome of an NSC meeting on Monday (December 22).
Chatchai said the meeting discussed reports of drones appearing in various areas, particularly sensitive locations such as airports and border provinces.
He said authorities had detected several drones entering restricted zones.
In response, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) had issued a notice designating controlled areas, effective from Saturday (December 20), covering seven border provinces, key airports and other critical sites nationwide, to prevent unauthorised drone activity.
He added that drones detected over the weekend appeared to be improvised devices, and officials were now checking their origin and intended destination.
Chatchai said the NSC agreed on two sets of measures.
Urgent measures
- Multi-agency support for police operations: Relevant agencies, Airports of Thailand (AOT), the CAAT, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC), the armed forces and local administrative authorities, were instructed to support the Royal Thai Police in managing drones detected in controlled areas. This includes prevention, intelligence-gathering and investigations, as well as the coordinated use of anti-drone systems, with close coordination to ensure effective, aligned operations.
- Fast-track procurement of anti-drone equipment: The Defence Ministry was asked to use its authority to ease approval procedures so AOT and other relevant agencies can procure anti-drone systems, which are classified as military equipment, to strengthen area protection.
- Tighter controls on drone imports: Authorities were told to step up checks on drone imports and crack down on smuggling, particularly along border areas and elsewhere.
- Public warning on strict penalties: Chatchai urged the public not to fly drones in high-risk areas, especially locations linked to national security, such as airports. He warned that offences could carry severe penalties, including the death penalty in the most serious cases, and that using drones in a manner that threatens national security could breach the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code.
Long-term measures
For the longer term, the NSC resolved that the Royal Thai Air Force should accelerate integration work with relevant agencies and develop an organisational structure to ensure unified operations.
A proposed name for the body is the “National Unmanned Aircraft Countermeasure Management Centre”, in line with a previous NSC resolution designating the Air Force as the lead agency for inter-agency coordination.
Chatchai said relevant agencies were also instructed to plan for modern tools and equipment for the future, train personnel to operate them effectively, and review existing rules and laws, including tougher penalties, for drone use that poses a threat to national security.
On the Thailand–Cambodia border issue, Chatchai said that while the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting had helped create momentum and improve the overall atmosphere, the National Security Council maintained that any lasting resolution must ultimately be achieved through bilateral talks between Thailand and Cambodia.
