Thailand authorizes military to shoot down drones over sensitive zones

Thailand’s army has imposed a nationwide ban on drone usage, warning that unauthorised UAVs pose a serious national security threat.

The military is now authorised to disable or destroy drones found over military zones, according to a directive issued overnight, Caliber.Az reports via Thai media.

Gen. Pana Klaewplodthuk, Deputy Director of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), ordered regional army and ISOC offices to strictly enforce the ban. Col. Richa Suksuvanon, deputy army spokesperson, said drones flying over military areas are considered “a serious threat,” and troops may use precision weapons if necessary.

The ban follows reports of increased drone activity, despite the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT)’s July 29 order prohibiting drone flights nationwide.

Joint rapid-response teams — made up of military, police, and local officials — have been activated. In high-risk border areas, such as Regions 1 and 2, both electronic jamming (“soft kill”) and direct fire (“hard kill”) methods are allowed. In Regions 3 and 4, soft kill is preferred, though hard kill remains an option.

The army emphasised that drones equipped with surveillance tools near military or government sites may be treated as espionage.

Offenders could face charges under the Criminal Code, Internal Security Act, or Air Navigation Act, with penalties ranging from long prison terms to life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

A public awareness campaign launched in Thai, English, and Chinese warns: “The silent threat from the sky… could be a danger to the nation.”

By Tamilla Hasanova