Drones fitted with cameras to be banned in Thailand

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Drones fitted with cameras to be banned in Thailand

BANGKOK:– The flying of drones in Thailand is set to be banned as part of a new government crackdown.

According to the Transport Ministry, the new regulations will come into effect next month and will prohibit members of the public flying drones fitted with cameras.

The regulations will be used to govern the use of aerial drones which are capable of flying at high altitude, and are considered a threat national security and which also can be violation of the privacy of others, reports Thai PBS.

Under the new regulations, the use of drones will be divided into two categories.

The first, relates to drones used for education, sport and research purposes or on occasions which will help to aid the development of the country.

Drones used in these instances will have permission and a pre-agreed flight path.

The second relates to flying drones for personal use and it is this which needs to be more strictly controlled said Transport Minister Prajin.

Under the new regulations, which are currently being drafted by the Civil Aviation Department, drones carrying cameras will only be permitted for use by the mass media or film making industry.

The flying of drones fitted with cameras will not be allowed by members of the general public.

Read more: http://tech.thaivisa.com/drones-fitted-cameras-banned-thailand/3290/

[SABloke]

Flight path??? For my little drone I use filming my natural surroundings on holiday?

''Your approved flight path is from that tree with the V shapes branches to those rocks at the end of the beach.'' 555

That's only about as far the little ones can go anyway:rolleyes:

[MJP]

Well that's one more joy gone. I was planning on having one for Issan to survey the farms and plantations.

[jaltsc]

"The first, relates to drones used for education, sport and research purposes or on occasions which will help to aid the development of the country."

In other words: "We can use drones to spy on private citizens performing legal activities, but they can't use drones to expose our nefarious acts."

Edited January 26, 2015 by jaltsc

[Tywais]

Well, that sucks as I was planning on one also. Paranoia runs deep it seems. Some remarkable videography of Thailand has come from these from amateur videographers. Does TAT know?

[MJP]

Well, that sucks as I was planning on one also. Paranoia runs deep it seems. Some remarkable videography of Thailand has come from these from amateur videographers. Does TAT know?

Thankfully not banned in Devon!

[T_Dog]

What Thailand needs is a ban on bans.

[halloween]

On at least one occasion in oz, firefighting planes were grounded because drones were being flown in the area. There are pretty strict rules for use, especially about flying over people, with heavy penalties threatened (A$8500, possible jail time if someone is injured).

[RichardThailand]

This sounds like for once Thailand is ahead of some other countries.

[zakk9]

Not surprising. Bans like these will appear in many countries. Ever heard about right to privacy? Military installations?

[T_Dog]

I am wondering if Thailand is the only country in the world that has banned these cameras. Perhaps North Korea beat them to it?

[lust]

It just takes a couple losers with drones to ruin it for everyone. People flying them outside bedrooms, above nude beaches, above nuclear power plants, dropping drugs into prisons etc. It was only a matter of time.

[Thai at Heart]

What is the differencr between this and a piloted helicopter doing the news?

[Camelot]

It's not a blanket ban. Mass media organisations and those making films can still use them. The report says they can also be used for educational, sport and research purposes.

Plenty of opportunities there. It's sensible to weed out irresponsible users who just want to play video games in the sky.

[silverhawk_usa]

Google 'countries banning drones'. India has banned all. In the U.S. a number of states are passing their own restrictions. Spain has banned commercial use, and a long list of others pending or being considered.

[attrayant]

Not surprising. Bans like these will appear in many countries. Ever heard about right to privacy?

In public? No I've never heard of that.

Military installations?

Then penalize people who fly in restricted airspace. I'm pretty sure that law already exists for airplanes and helicopters, just expand it to cover drones.

This seems like a nervous government not wanting its citizens to keep an eye on their civil servants or catch them when they're up to no good.

[Chicog]

Not surprising. Bans like these will appear in many countries. Ever heard about right to privacy?

In public? No I've never heard of that.

Military installations?

Then penalize people who fly in restricted airspace. I'm pretty sure that law already exists for airplanes and helicopters, just expand it to cover drones.

This seems like a nervous government not wanting its citizens to keep an eye on their civil servants or catch them when they're up to no good.

They are a potantial flight hazard and they are an intrusion of privacy. Plus a lot of time they are noisy.

Sames as jetskis, have areas where the kids can go and play with their toys, but keep them away from the general populace unless there is justification, which is what the law seems to imply.

[attrayant]

Google 'countries banning drones'. India has banned all. In the U.S. a number of states are passing their own restrictions. Spain has banned commercial use, and a long list of others pending or being considered.

And what is this supposed to tell us? That just because several states are doing it, it's the right thing to do? Sorry, but the popularity of a thing is unrelated to its correctness.

[Seastallion]

This sounds like for once Thailand is ahead of some other countries.

In fact drones should be regulated, especially when flying over people or near flight paths, but I feel the OP refers to simple paranoia and has nothing to do with safety or privacy.

[attrayant]

How can something that flies around in public be an intrusion to privacy?

I'm not talking about somebody who parks one outside of a bedroom window (already have laws against that, too). I'm talking about hovering over a public area at a low altitude (say about 300 meters or less, which is already the lowest safe altitude that most aircraft can fly).

Concerned about the hazard of drones raining from the sky? Okay I guess that could happen, but just as easily a car could crash into a bus stop killing a dozen people. Is the solution to ban buses? Of course not. Bus companies and private drivers are supposed to have liability insurance in case they are the cause of an accident.

I'm just saying that there are better ways to address the possibility of error. A total outright ban seems like overkill.

[Seastallion]

How can something that flies around in public be an intrusion to privacy?

I'm not talking about somebody who parks one outside of a bedroom window (already have laws against that, too). I'm talking about hovering over a public area at a low altitude (say about 300 meters or less, which is already the lowest safe altitude that most aircraft can fly).

Concerned about the hazard of drones raining from the sky? Okay I guess that could happen, but just as easily a car could crash into a bus stop killing a dozen people. Is the solution to ban buses? Of course not. Bus companies and private drivers are supposed to have liability insurance in case they are the cause of an accident.

I'm just saying that there are better ways to address the possibility of error. A total outright ban seems like overkill.

Your analogy serves my point and not yours; Buses and cars ARE indeed regulated. There are laws, registrations, and licenses....all to ensure chaos does not reign on the roads.

As drones become cheaper, there will be more and more....accidents will happen. What happens when an unregistered (unidentifiable) drone smashes into your car?

How many radio frequencies are available and is there a possibility of control confusion?

Privacy.....back yards are not bedroom windows, but people often feel "private" in their own fenced back garden. How do you stop a drone hovering over your sun-bathing daughter?

I'm not into tough or restrictive regulation, but there is a need for some regulation.

[Keesters]

I welcome the ban. Don't want people spying on me while I weed the walled garden naked.

As for people observing the ban, well that's a different matter.

[Phra Ek]

That's a shame - I was about to buy one for my GoPro. But let's see if it's enforced.

And by the same logic - should selfie-sticks also be banned?

[AleG]

A blanket ban for the public is a knee jerk reaction.

[Gweiloman]

They should also ban binoculars, telescopes, cameras with telescopic lenses, heck even phones with cameras (these can be "dropped" onto the floor and taking pictures via a small bluetooth device. The list is endless.

It's just symptomatic of this country - taking a sledgehammer to a walnut.

p/s: those cowboi girls taking baths on the rooftops below my balcony is an intrusion of my privacy. Will the relevant authorities ban them from doing so or am I banned from going out to my balcony?

Edited January 26, 2015 by Gweiloman

[MJP]

I've just had a kernel of an idea.

It states "drones fitted with cameras" to be banned.

At the same time we have floating lanterns also being banned.

So, how about drones fitted with candles? Should make for quite a buzzy Loi Krathong.

[55Jay]

The main article in ThaiTech indicates all drone flights by private citizens (category 2) will require permission from Ministry of Transport, not just drones with cameras.

Noticed the FAA has put the brakes on private drones in the US. I read one WSJ article saying one of the intial requirements was the operations manual had to be carried on board during flight..... so the non-existant pilot could refer to it in an emergency? LOL.

Then again, are the remote control helicopters sold here, regulated as well? Some are pretty big, might even support a camera.

[attrayant]

Your analogy serves my point and not yours; Buses and cars ARE indeed regulated. There are laws, registrations, and licenses....all to ensure chaos does not reign on the roads.

I'm all for regulation and reasonable limitations, but the OP is all about banning. My post serves my point, which is to pinpoint the specific problems and address them.

As drones become cheaper, there will be more and more....accidents will happen. What happens when an unregistered (unidentifiable) drone smashes into your car?

Same thing that happens when somebody hurls an unregistered (unidentifiable) brick off the side of a bridge over an expressway. Call the police, investigate, etc. If we require cars to have license plates, why not require drones to have serial numbers and be registered to users for liability purposes?

How many radio frequencies are available and is there a possibility of control confusion?

That's a good question. Do you have an answer? Is this supposed to be an automatically bad thing? I'm not clear why you raised this point. Lots of RC toys have been on the market for years. Whatever confusion is possible has already been possible for a long time. If there is a fundamental technical conflict between RC devices (toys/drones/whatever) and established radio control channels, then let engineers address that.

Privacy.....back yards are not bedroom windows, but people often feel "private" in their own fenced back garden. How do you stop a drone hovering over your sun-bathing daughter?

Now you're raising appeals to emotion. Won't somebody think of the children?! If this is in fact a genuine problem, then it's already a problem with helicopters, people with binoculars, and so on. And like the article says, media can still take those steamy pictures of your daughter. If there aren't already decency laws against that (voyeurism) in Thailand, then that's where the problem lies.

And not that it matters, but I wonder how many young girls in Thailand sunbathe?

Edited January 26, 2015 by attrayant

[slipperylobster]

Oh Man....no private photos of the tops of people heads.

The only fun thing was drawing a dot on the top of the head in the photo

and measuring how far the boobies stuck out. I was building a data base.

Well...I guess I was intruding on somebody's privacy.

Maybe go back to watching what everyone else is googling and reading their emails.

Edited January 26, 2015 by slipperylobster

[chainarong]

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On at least one occasion in oz, firefighting planes were grounded because drones were being flown in the area. There are pretty strict rules for use, especially about flying over people, with heavy penalties threatened (A$8500, possible jail time if someone is injured).

Yes and they lost property because of the <deleted> things.