Thailand Drone Regulations: NBTC Spectrum & BVLOS Update

Thailand Drone Regulations: NBTC Opens Public Consultation on Spectrum, BVLOS and Remote ID Rules

Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has opened a public consultation on a four part package of draft notifications that would significantly modernise how unmanned aircraft access radio spectrum and how their radio equipment is authorised. The drafts would move Thailand beyond its current visual line of sight, notification based regime toward a licensing model that enables beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, satellite and mobile-network control, and a mandatory Remote ID broadcast.

For manufacturers, importers and regulatory affairs teams, the headline is that this is a consultation, not a law in force. Nothing here is enforceable yet. The existing 2020 framework remains the operative regime until the NBTC finalises and publishes any of these notifications. The value of acting now lies in shaping comments before the deadline and preparing certification pipelines for the equipment requirements the drafts signal.

What the NBTC is proposing

The NBTC board endorsed the four draft notifications on 7 April 2026 and subsequently released them for public consultation. The comment window closes 3 July 2026. The package is intended to support commercial drone use cases logistics and delivery, smart agriculture, infrastructure inspection and disaster relief while strengthening airspace safety and national security oversight.

The current framework, in place since 2020, restricts drones to visual line of sight operation on unlicensed bands and relies on notification rather than licensing. The drafts would replace that approach with explicit spectrum licensing criteria, new technical standards for onboard and ground station radio equipment, and equipment-level identification requirements.

The four draft notifications at a glance

#	Draft notification	What it governs
1	NBTC Announcement on Criteria and Conditions for Licensing the Use of Radio Frequencies for Unmanned Aircraft	Spectrum-licensing criteria and conditions for drone radio use
2	NBTC Announcement on Technical Standards for Telecommunication Equipment and Devices — Radar Radio Communication Equipment Installed on Unmanned Aircraft	Technical standards for onboard anti-collision radar equipment
3	NBTC Announcement on Technical Standards for Telecommunication Equipment and Devices — Ground Station Radio Communication Equipment on Unmanned Aircraft in Satellite Mobile Services	Technical standards for satellite-linked ground-station equipment
4	NBTC Announcement on Criteria for the Use of Radio Frequencies and Radio Communication Equipment Permitted for General Use (Version 2)	Updated general-use (licence-exempt) spectrum and equipment criteria

What the proposed Thailand drone regulations change

The reform package concentrates on four technical areas. Each carries distinct type-approval and certification consequences.

1. New unlicensed spectrum bands

The drafts add two new licence-exempt bands for drone communications: 72–72.475 MHz and 920–925 MHz. These are intended to relieve congestion in the bands drones currently rely on 433.05–434.79 MHz, 2.4–2.5 GHz and 5.725–5.850 GHz. For radio module designers, this expands the set of bands a product may be configured to use under general use criteria, subject to the updated Notification No. 4.

2. BVLOS over mobile and satellite networks

The most consequential change unlocks BVLOS control by permitting command and control over mobile telecommunications networks across all assigned International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) bands, with the 2600 MHz band excluded. Satellite based operation would also be permitted, with allocations at 1518–1559 MHz (downlink) and 1610–1660.5 MHz (uplink). Crucially, drones capable of BVLOS would need ownership/possession authorisation before use.

3. Expanded anti-collision radar bands

To support obstacle detection and automated collision avoidance, the drafts add high frequency radar bands at 57–64 GHz and 76–77 GHz, supplementing the existing 24.05–24.25 GHz range. Onboard radar modules will fall under the new technical-standards notification (Draft No. 2).

4. Mandatory Remote ID

The package introduces a mandatory Remote ID capability a real time broadcast of identification and location data that the NBTC characterises as a "digital licence plate." This is an equipment level obligation that affects product design, not just operator behaviour.

What this means for manufacturers

If your products transmit or receive radio signals for drone command, control, payload or radar which covers virtually all commercial drones these drafts will eventually reshape the Thai market-access path for those products. Practical implications:

• Type approval scope will broaden. Onboard radar modules and satellite ground-station equipment would be brought under dedicated technical-standards notifications, meaning new conformity criteria to demonstrate at registration.

• Remote ID becomes a design requirement. Products intended for the Thai market would need to support the Remote ID broadcast natively. Retrofit may not be straightforward; design-in is the safer path for new SKUs.

• New bands expand configuration options but add testing. Supporting 72–72.475 MHz, 920–925 MHz and the new radar bands can broaden a product's addressable use cases, but each added band typically means additional conformance testing against the relevant NBTC technical standard.

• BVLOS-capable products gain a possession-authorisation layer. Drones marketed for BVLOS would carry an ownership-authorisation step before use, which may affect how distributors and importers position and document those products.

• CAAT remains separate. Spectrum and equipment authorisation sits with the NBTC; flight permissions remain with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT). Compliance is a two-regulator exercise.

  
  

Because the rules are still in draft, the immediate action is engagement and preparation, not re-certification. Final band edges, technical standard references and Remote ID specifications can change before publication.

Certification impact summary

Area	Current regime (2020)	Proposed under draft notifications	Likely action for manufacturers
Operating model	VLOS only; notification-based	Licensing model enabling BVLOS	Review product positioning for BVLOS-capable SKUs
Unlicensed spectrum	433 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz	Adds 72–72.475 MHz and 920–925 MHz	Confirm radio configuration and re-test new bands
Network/satellite control	Not permitted	IMT bands (excl. 2600 MHz); satellite 1518–1559 / 1610–1660.5 MHz	Validate cellular/satellite modules against new standards
Anti-collision radar	24.05–24.25 GHz	Adds 57–64 GHz and 76–77 GHz	Test onboard radar to Draft Notification No. 2
Identification	No Remote ID mandate	Mandatory Remote ID broadcast	Design-in Remote ID capability
Possession/ownership	Registration of devices	Ownership authorisation for BVLOS drones	Update importer/distributor documentation

Timeline and required actions

Date	Milestone	Status	Required action
2020	Existing drone radio framework introduced (VLOS, notification-based)	In force	Continue complying with current rules
7 April 2026	NBTC board endorses four draft notifications	Completed	Review draft texts against your product portfolio
Consultation period (to 3 July 2026)	Public consultation open	Active	Submit comments to the NBTC before the deadline
3 July 2026	Comment deadline	Upcoming	Finalise and file consultation responses
Post-consultation (date TBC)	NBTC reviews comments; finalises and publishes notifications	Pending	Monitor for final texts; confirm band/standard changes
After publication (effective date TBC)	Final rules take effect	Pending	Begin re-certification / Remote ID design-in as required