Hiring a Drone Team: Do You Need a Permit, and What Should You Check?

The question clients ask most before booking is whether they need to get permission from anyone first. The answer depends on whether the job can be flown within the general conditions, and in 2026 CAAT issued a new announcement for flights that differ from those conditions. This article explains in plain terms what the pilot team is responsible for, what the client is responsible for, and what to check before hiring.

Hiring a drone team: do you need to apply for permission yourself?

No. Flight permissions are the drone operator's responsibility. Paid aerial photography counts as commercial drone use, so the team must be registered as operators with CAAT and have the drone registered with the NBTC before taking the job. If the job falls within the general conditions, a registered team can fly without applying for extra permission each time.

What the client needs to handle is the location: consent from the owner or juristic person of the property, informing people involved on site, and permits for certain places that have their own filming rules.

General conditions that need no extra permission

The 2015 Ministry of Transport announcement sets the basic flight conditions—for example, flying between sunrise and sunset, flying no higher than 90 meters above ground, keeping the drone in the operator's direct line of sight at all times without flying by the onboard camera view, not flying within 9 kilometers of an airport unless authorized, and keeping the required distance from uninvolved people, vehicles and structures. Most shoots of land, homes, factories or resorts can be planned within these conditions.

Hiring a drone team: which jobs need extra permission?

CAAT's 2026 announcement treats any flight that differs from the general conditions as a medium-risk operation, or Specific Category, which CAAT states took effect on 17 May 2026. The team must apply online and receive approval before flying.

Applicants for this approval must complete a CAAT-recognized training course, the drone must be registered with its registration number marked on the airframe, and each application must state the purpose, date and time, area or coordinates, operator names and the insurance policy. CAAT may approve a single flight or a period of time, so clients should give as much notice as possible for jobs like these.

No-fly zones and temporary restricted areas

Beyond the flight conditions, there are permanent no-fly zones such as royal residences, military areas and other restricted areas, and at times CAAT announces additional temporary restricted areas—for example, some districts in provinces along the Cambodian border. These announcements change from time to time, so the team must check the latest version before every job. For an overview, see  drone no-fly zone map by province 

What clients need to prepare

1. Consent from the property owner For housing estates, condominiums or projects, inform the juristic person or property manager before flight day.
2. Permits for specific locations Places such as national parks, government sites or historic sites often have their own flight and filming rules; permission must come from the agency in charge.
3. Coordinates and preferred dates and times Used to check no-fly zones and airport radius, and to assess whether extra permission is needed.
4. Inform people on site If staff, guests or event participants will be in the frame, let them know about the filming in line with personal data protection guidelines.
5. A backup day Allow for rain, strong wind or waiting for an approval.

Hiring a drone team: what to ask before you book

• Do they hold a valid CAAT operator registration and NBTC drone registration?
• Do they have third-party liability insurance that covers the flight day?
• Is this job within the general conditions or does it need Specific Category approval? Who applies, and how much lead time is needed?
• Have they checked no-fly zones and temporary restricted areas for these coordinates?
• If the weather is bad or approval hasn't come through on flight day, how will the shoot be rescheduled?

Teams that can answer these questions clearly at the quoting stage usually plan better and reduce the risk of a job being stopped midway. For details on registration, see Registering a drone with the NBTC and CAAT, step by step

Frequently asked questions

Hiring a drone team to shoot your own home or land: do you need a permit?

If the flight is in daytime, no higher than 90 meters and the area is outside no-fly zones and airport radius, a registered team can fly without filing anything extra. The owner just confirms permission to fly.

Shooting an event with a crowd: do you need a permit?

The general conditions prohibit flying over crowds and require distance from uninvolved people, so the team places flight points at the edge of the area. If the job needs to fly closer to people than allowed, Specific Category approval is required first. See how jobs like this are planned at Event drone photography service

Do you need a permit for FPV video?

Yes. FPV is flown by viewing the onboard camera feed through goggles, which differs from the general conditions, so the team must obtain Specific Category approval before flying. Let the team know well in advance.

Can you fly in a national park?

You need permission from the agency in charge of the area first, and the no-fly zones for those coordinates must still be checked. Start contacting them several days before the shoot.

Does the client need to sign any documents?

Generally you don't file anything with CAAT yourself, but you should confirm the scope of work, the area you allow the team to fly over and how the images may be used in writing—for example, in the quote or a LINE message.

Hiring a drone team: do permit requirements affect the price?

They can, because documents must be prepared, risks assessed and approval may take time. See other factors that affect pricing in How much does drone photography cost? or send your job details to get a free quote.

Summary

For most drone shoots, clients don't need to apply for permits themselves, but they should choose a team fully registered with CAAT and the NBTC and properly insured. If the job requires flying above 90 meters, near an airport, after sunset or with FPV, the team must obtain Specific Category approval before flying. Clients prepare the property owner's consent, permits for specific locations and the coordinates, and give the team enough notice to handle approvals.

Read next: Drone no-fly zones in Thailand · How is an FPV drone different from a standard camera drone? · Aerial photo and video services

Sources: CAAT — Announcement on permitting flights that differ from the conditions (Specific Category), 2026 · Royal Gazette — Ministry of Transport announcement on drone permit criteria and flight conditions, 2015 · CAAT — No-fly announcement during the border situation