SUVARNABHUMI Airport management confirmed this afternoon (Dec. 22) that unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) were sighted flying nearby in the wee hours of this morning with this being the second night in a row they were seen but they had not entered the flight path, Amarin TV said this evening.
A meeting was held at 2 p.m. today with officers from Suvarnabhumi Airport police station and security agencies discussing contingency measures as these drones have caused considerable public unease.
Mr. Kittipong Kittikhachorn, director of Suvarnabhumi Airport, said it was during small hours that the management found out some drones were flying near the airport zone with police immediately sent to investigate and it was ascertained that they were flying near the outer fence.
This issue was reported to higher authorities with the Commander of Provincial Police Region 1 Pol. Lt. Gen. Wathana Yichin personally attending the meeting along with officers from army and air force. Security measures were stepped up from the previous night when these drones were first seen to prevent them from intruding into the air space with the air traffic control centre alerted as maintaining safe take-offs and landings by following international airport procedures is of paramount importance.
There were fewer drones on the second night than the first and fortunately reinforcement from the army was available.
Furthermore, Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul convened an urgent National Security Council meeting, which resolved that Airports of Thailand (AOT) must expedite the procurement of the most modern monitoring and interception equipment to be ready for future use.
As this will take some time to arrange, Kittipong said in the meantime AOT will rely on support from security agencies.
Anyone who continues to violate the regulations by flying drones in the airport area, which is a high security zone, will face the maximum penalty of life imprisonment, even the death penalty.
Meanwhile, Air Force Col. Chananat Rodkul, director of security at Suvarnabhumi Airport, said over the past two nights drones were observed mainly flying near the eastern side of Suvarnabhumi Airport, zooming along the fence adjacent to the irrigation canal and occasionally encroaching into the aviation security zone.
While drones were detected by the anti-drone system last night, the direction could not be determined because of the distance from the airport. Visually one to two drones were seen flying in and out but more of them could have been sent up with a new one flown when one landed as they can fly for around 10 to 20 minutes.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page – Suvarnabhumi Airport Director Mr. Kittipong Kittikhachorn, left, and Commander of Provincial Police Region 1 Pol. Lt. Gen. Wathana Yichin, right, briefing the press today, December 22, 2025. Photos – Amarin TV
Insert – A drone flying high. Photo by Mitch Nielsen on Unsplash
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