COUNTRY SOURCES / TH
Thailand: drone inspection sources
WebSearch in Thai (โดรน ตรวจสอบ + สะพาน/เขื่อน/สายส่ง/โซลาร์/อาคาร/ท่อส่งก๊าซ/กังหันลม/ทางรถไฟ, กพท. กฎหมายโดรน) plus English (EGAT drone inspection). Preferred national dailies, Thai PBS, EGAT/CAAT official pages, the Drone Association Thailand, and vendor cases only with Thai sites and numbers. Many hits were off-topic (MEA, bridge-safety and dam articles with no drone content) and were dropped after reading. INCOMPLETE: the shared WebSearch budget (200/turn) and WebFetch budget (400/hour) ran out after 16 items, so the target of 30 was not reached; uses such as sewer, railway, port, telecom tower and plant boiler are not yet covered. 追補（2026-10-22）：下水道・鉄道・港湾・通信塔・プラント内部を狙ってタイ語で約8回検索（「โดรน ตรวจสอบ ท่อระบายน้ำ กรุงเทพมหานคร」「การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย โดรน ตรวจสอบ」「การท่าเรือแห่งประเทศไทย โดรน แหลมฉบัง」「โดรน ตรวจสอบ เสาโทรคมนาคม」「โดรน ตรวจสอบ ภายใน ถัง หม้อไอน้ำ โรงกลั่น」「กฟภ. โดรน」「โดรน สะพาน กรมทางหลวงชนบท」「รฟม. โดรน」）。開いた記事の多くはドローンに触れない（バンコクの排水管浚渫予算、鉄道の障害物検知レーダー、運転士の薬物検査、配管の水中検査ロボット、PEAの通信網）か、既存 th-01 と同じ AeroSky 設立の報道、またはフィリピンでの通信塔点検（STOWER）で除外。共有の WebFetch 予算（400回/時）が尽きたため th-18 で止めた。下水道・鉄道・港湾・通信塔の国内ドローン点検事例は依然として見つかっておらず、18件で未完。 追補2（2026-10-22）：EGAT・PEA・MEA・SRT・タイ港湾公社・PTT・AIS/True・道路局・CAAT の名称とタイ語の検索語、さらに学術用語「อากาศยานไร้คนขับ ตรวจสอบ」で約24回検索し、11件を追加して29件にした（EGAT 公式3件、経済紙1件、Gunkul のサービスページ1件、全国土木工学会議・ThaiJO・チュラロンコン大学の論文6件。論文のうち5件は抄録のみ確認）。除外したもの：道路局の橋 17,500 か所点検（ドローンに触れない）、PTT のガス管安全対策（車両・徒歩巡視とピグのみ）、地震後の建物点検報道（ドローンなし）、メーモ鉱山の地すべり（地上計測器のみ）、AIS×ARV の Blognone 記事（th-20 と同じ実証の広告記事）、王室灌漑局の貯水池周辺監視の広告記事（構造物の点検ではない）、ドローンを使わない橋脚損傷検出や VTOL 機設計の論文、タイの風車保守会社のページ（事例なし）。PEA の年報 PDF は取得失敗（504）。下水道・鉄道・港湾・通信塔の国内ドローン点検事例は今回も見つからず、30件に届かないため29件で止めた。
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news · 2021-05-22
PTTEP moves into drone inspection services for large structures for Thai business and industry
Reports the founding of AeroSky (Thailand), a joint venture of PTTEP subsidiary ARV, Malaysia's Aerodyne and Digital Creation, to inspect tall or hard-to-reach structures by drone. Telecom towers, power poles, chimneys and oil storage tanks are named as targets, and the pitch is that skipping scaffolding saves time and money and lowers risk.
- Joint venture: ARV (PTTEP subsidiary) + Aerodyne Group + Digital Creation
- Targets: telecom towers, electricity poles, chimneys, oil storage tanks
⚠ No drone model, sensor specs or measured savings given; benefits are the company's claims
Why selected: National daily (Thai Post); a national energy group (PTTEP) entering the inspection services market
case_study · 2024-10-02
ARV and the Department of Highways use drones to survey flood-damaged areas in Chiang Rai
After the August 2024 floods, the Department of Highways' maintenance bureau and ARV used ARV's autonomous HORRUS drone to survey damage along highways in Chiang Rai. The flights located landslides, road subsidence and damaged bridges in places crews could not easily reach, and the results fed repair planning and safe access routes for heavy machinery.
- Flights 25–30 Aug 2024, three per day; 86.72 km flown in about 4 h 44 min
- 17 damage sites found: 8 landslides, 6 subsidence areas, 3 damaged bridges
- About 30 min per charge, automatic return to dock, control range up to 7 km, 4K/30fps live video
- Segment Anything Model (SAM) used for image analysis
⚠ Rapid damage survey after a disaster, not routine structural inspection / Cost savings are claimed but not quantified
Why selected: National business daily; joint work with a central government road authority; concrete numbers
news · 2024-12-23
Petroleum meets technology: Chevron tests drones in Thai petroleum production for the first time
Chevron Thailand ran a beyond-visual-line-of-sight proof of concept with camera drones over offshore wellhead platforms in the central Gulf of Thailand, aiming to spot leaks and unsafe equipment through live video. It is described as the first BVLOS drone use in Thai petroleum production, approved by CAAT and the NBTC, with Thai firm Skyller as the technology partner.
- Site: Pailin platform, Gulf of Thailand
- BVLOS operation approved by CAAT and NBTC
- Partner: Skyller Solutions (Thai UAV inspection firm)
- Second PoC planned for 2025
⚠ Proof of concept only; no drone model or measured savings published / Marketing/trade outlet relaying a company announcement
Why selected: Thai marketing/business media; first reported BVLOS offshore use in Thailand
article · 2025-04-30
CPAC promotes drones and digital tools for building survey and maintenance
Describes CPAC (SCG group)'s drone façade inspection service for high-rises, hospitals, factories, bridges and expressway piers. HD imagery finds cracks, thermal cameras flag leaks and hidden defects, and LiDAR builds 3D models that link to BIM for repair planning. The firm presents it as safer and faster than rope access or lifts.
- Sensors: HD/4K camera, thermal camera, LiDAR
- Offered for buildings of 4 floors or more; LiDAR example of concrete silos over 50 m tall
- Full survey in a few hours versus several days by conventional methods (company claim)
⚠ Vendor service description; time savings are the company's claim, no independent data
Why selected: Thai business news site; service of a major national construction group (SCG/CPAC)
regulation · 2026-05-13
CAAT tightens drone rules: training, registration and online flight permits from 17 May 2026
Thai PBS summarises, from a government briefing, CAAT's new rules for drones up to 25 kg effective 17 May 2026. Commercial work such as surveying falls into a medium-risk Specific Category needing risk assessment and prior approval, plus approved pilot training, visible registration marks and per-flight online flight plans, all of which affect inspection operators.
- Effective 17 May 2026; applies to drones up to 25 kg
- Licence validity extended from 2 to 5 years; renewal at least 30 days before expiry
- Third-party insurance minimum 1 million baht per occurrence
- Registration mark format XX-NN-NN-NNNN on fuselage
⚠ News summary of a briefing; exact requirements should be checked against the CAAT announcement itself
Why selected: National public broadcaster; national regulator's rule change
news · 2026-04-17
CAAT observes a demonstration of drones cleaning a high-rise building in Bangkok
An official CAAT release saying its director and UAS airworthiness staff watched a controlled drone façade-cleaning demonstration on a Bangkok high-rise. The emphasis is on compliant, safe operation under regulator oversight. It is maintenance rather than inspection, but shows the regulator engaging with drone work on tall façades.
- Demonstration held 10 April 2026 on a Bangkok high-rise
- Attended by CAAT director and UAS airworthiness standards staff
⚠ Cleaning, not inspection / No drone specs, building name or performance figures given
Why selected: Official national aviation regulator release
article ·
Drone trends across industries
An industry-trends piece from PTT group's IT arm. It describes the hybrid VTOL fixed-wing 'Accel', co-developed with Kasetsart University, for inspecting gas and oil pipeline routes and high-voltage line corridors from the air. In a test along a gas pipeline route it reportedly picked out a backhoe working near the line, and drones were also used to watch for wild elephants damaging pipeline fencing.
- 'Accel' hybrid VTOL fixed-wing drone co-developed with Kasetsart University, shown at Thailand Digital Big Bang 2019
- Pipeline right-of-way test detected a backhoe working in the area
⚠ No publication date shown (sources cited are from 2019–2020) / Mostly a general trends article; inspection results are anecdotal
Why selected: Publication of Thailand's national energy group (PTT); domestic pipeline use
case_study · 2020-01-30
Drones survey structures for dam maintenance
EGAT civil maintenance staff used a drone to map cracks on a large concrete dam structure about 50 m tall with slopes up to 45 degrees. They set ground control points, flew photo missions and produced an accurate crack map for repair design and cost estimates, describing the approach as faster and safer than manual access.
- Drone: DJI Inspire 2
- Structure about 50 m high (≈15 storeys), slopes up to 45°
- Ground control points + photogrammetry to produce a crack map
⚠ Specific dam not named / No numbers on time or cost saved
Why selected: Official article of the national generation utility (EGAT)
article · 2023-04-25
Key points of wind turbine maintenance
EGAT explains maintenance at its Lam Takhong wind farm. For hubs and blades, drones check blades and towers for cracks and peeling, and if damage is extensive technicians rope down to inspect and repair. It shows drones used for first-pass screening, with people still doing detailed work.
- 14 turbines, up to 27 MW
- Maintenance work at 94 m height
- Drone check first; rope access when damage is extensive
⚠ Drone use is a short mention within a broader maintenance article; no drone model or results
Why selected: Official article of the national generation utility (EGAT)
article · 2017-10-30
The new role of drones as helpers for the energy and utilities industry
A PwC Thailand blog arguing that drones were not yet widespread in Thai energy and utilities but would soon be. It lists uses such as asset inventory and maintenance, vegetation management near lines and pre-construction surveys, and flags risks like crashes damaging lines and data theft.
- Cites PwC's global estimate of US$9.46 bn for drone-addressable value in energy and utilities
- Cites US$169 bn yearly global utility losses from outages
⚠ 2017 article; figures are global, not Thai / Forecast/opinion rather than case data
Why selected: Major consultancy's Thai-language analysis, often cited early reference
case_study · 2019-02-14
Terra Drone optimizes long distance power line inspection for distributors in Thailand and Poland
Terra Drone (Japan) announced fixed-wing RTK drone mapping of power lines for EGAT in Thailand and a Polish distributor, producing 3D line maps and tree-trimming reports. It is pitched as a way to cover long line distances quickly.
- 12 km of line mapped in one day (Thailand)
- Sony RX1R II 42 MP camera on fixed-wing RTK drone; about 1 cm GSD
- Flights up to 60 minutes each; 50 km total across all flights (split not stated)
⚠ Manufacturer/service-provider press release / Thai vs Polish share of the 50 km total not stated
Why selected: Concrete case with EGAT as client and specific numbers
regulation · 2026-02-21
Keel Max and Thai drone law: what operators must know before flying
Drone Association Thailand uses the 230 kg Keel Max as a case to explain the 2024 Ministry of Transport notification for drones over 25 kg. It covers CAAT aircraft and pilot registration, NBTC frequency approval, advance per-flight notification, no-fly zones and emergency flight bans, aimed at operators of heavy payload craft.
- Drones over 25 kg fall under a 2024 Ministry of Transport notification
- Per-flight notice via UAS Portal at least 3 days ahead (per the article)
- Example of nationwide flight ban in July–August 2025
⚠ Association explainer, not the legal text; insurance not covered
Why selected: National drone industry association
news · 2020-03-30
Drones survey reservoirs to increase storage against drought (30 March 2020)
Relays a Komchadluek report that the Royal Irrigation Department's Chiang Mai project mapped the terrain of two reservoirs in Doi Saket by drone. The survey prepares repairs and dredging to raise storage, aimed at easing drought and floods.
- Royal Irrigation Department, Chiang Mai Irrigation Project
- Two reservoirs: Huai Khamin and Huai Hong Khrai
⚠ Topographic survey for dredging, not structural inspection of the dam / No figures on area, volume or cost
Why selected: Government agency news digest relaying a national daily; national irrigation authority
news · 2022-08-22
Automated drones to monitor floating solar farm in Thailand
Trade news that Percepto and Top Engineering would supply drone-in-a-box systems to the EGAT-contracted 45 MW hydro-floating solar hybrid at Sirindhorn Dam. The drones autonomously inspect panels, substations, transformers, floaters and fences, and can be run remotely.
- 45 MW hydro-floating solar hybrid on Sirindhorn Dam, seven floating sections
- Percepto AIM software and drone-in-a-box
- Remote operation from up to 600 km away
⚠ Announcement of deployment; no inspection results or savings reported
Why selected: Regional infrastructure trade media; national utility project
regulation ·
Shortcut menu for unmanned aircraft (drones)
CAAT's entry page for drone procedures. Only the search result title was seen; the page body was not read. Listed as the official reference point for registration and licensing.
⚠ Body not reviewed; contents unverified
Why selected: Official regulator page
regulation ·
Association joins CAAT meeting on new guidance for certifying drone pilot training centres
From the title, the association attended a CAAT session on new certification guidance for drone pilot training centres. The body could not be fetched; the link to the 2026 mandatory-training rules is likely but unverified.
⚠ Body not reviewed (fetch budget exhausted); date unknown
Why selected: National drone industry association; regulator consultation
news · 2021-07-06
'Novy Drone', the hero that found the shut-off valve in the Ming Dih factory fire
During the July 2021 explosion and fire of a large underground chemical tank at a foam-pellet factory in Samut Prakan, drones from Thai start-up Novy Drone located the tank's shut-off valve after helicopters had stopped flying, letting responders approach with a foam truck. The firm grew out of KMUTT's FIBO institute and runs survey and spraying drones.
- 2021年7月5日夕方に遮断弁の位置を特定
- 測量機はカメラ5台で3次元地図を作成
- 1回の充電で約300ライを測量（会社の公称値）
⚠ 点検ではなく災害時の状況把握 / 弁の位置特定以外の役割や公的な確認は記事にない / 精度90%などは会社の主張
Why selected: 全国紙クルンテープ・トゥラキット。危険物プラントの事故でドローンが使われた国内の具体例
news ·
KMUTT teams up with IROYAL to develop a 'smart drone' for infrastructure inspection, large-area surveys and utilities
From the headline, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi is partnering with IROYAL to develop a 'smart drone' for inspecting infrastructure, surveying large areas and utility systems. The body could not be fetched and was not read.
- 大学（KMUTT）と企業IROYALの共同開発（見出しによる）
⚠ 本文未確認（取得時にサーバーエラー）。用途・数値・時期は不明
Why selected: 全国紙タイポストの記事。国内大学のインフラ点検ドローン開発。下水道・鉄道などの用途を探す検索で上位に出た
case_study ·
Drone Thermal Scan
A page from a subsidiary of Thai renewable developer Gunkul describing a service that flies thermal-camera drones over solar farms and uses AI to classify faults such as hotspots and estimate lost output. Reports let maintenance contractors locate and replace faulty panels.
- Baseline cited: handheld thermal camera inspection of a solar farm can take 2–3 months
- Workflow: drone imaging, AI classification and loss estimate, report to owner and O&M contractor
⚠ Vendor page; no drone model, accuracy, coverage rate or measured savings / No named sites or clients
Why selected: Gunkul, a listed Thai renewable energy and grid contractor; one of few Thai-language solar drone inspection services from a major domestic company
news · 2023-07-10
AIS and PTT show Thailand's first 5G drone, unlocking remote control
A business daily reports AIS and PTT Group demonstrating ARV's autonomous Horrus drone operated remotely over AIS's 5G network. It flies scheduled routes from a control centre and sends images and video in real time when it detects anomalies. Intended uses include gas exploration areas, gas separation plants and factory sites.
- Drone system: Horrus by ARV (PTTEP subsidiary), with docking station
- 5G SA on 2600 MHz with network slicing and edge computing
- Tested under the UAV Regulatory Sandbox in Wangchan Valley
⚠ Demonstration, not a routine inspection programme; emphasis is on security patrol and connectivity / No inspection results or performance figures
Why selected: National business daily (Thansettakij); Thailand's largest mobile operator and national energy group
news · 2024-11-12
EGAT shows how it uses unmanned aircraft for power security at Thailand Drone Exhibition and Symposium 2024
EGAT's research arm reports its exhibit at the CAAT-organised national drone exhibition. It lists the utility's drone uses: stringing and inspecting high-voltage lines, inspecting wind turbines, finding faults in solar panels, checking dams and buildings for cracks, terrain survey and water sampling.
- Event: 7–9 November 2024, organised by CAAT under the theme 'Drone It Right'
- EGAT's Director of Transmission Asset Management attended
⚠ List of uses only; no fleet size, models or results
Why selected: Official EGAT (state power utility) research site; national CAAT event
article · 2024-05-07
Unseen EGAT by ENGY: six preventive maintenance methods for the transmission system
EGAT explains its six preventive maintenance methods for transmission lines for a general audience. Alongside vehicle and foot patrols, tower climbing and annual helicopter patrols, drones are listed for locating fault causes and inspecting specific equipment. It shows drones as one tool in a mix rather than a replacement.
- Network over 39,000 circuit-km at 115, 230 and 500 kV
- Helicopter patrol once a year focused on right-of-way encroachment
⚠ Drone role described in one line; no sensors, frequency or results given
Why selected: Official EGAT site; shows how drones fit into the national transmission operator's maintenance regime
case_study · 2026-01-28
People are not robots who can stand in the sun all day: AI plus UAV for smart solar cell inspection
EGAT describes a solar panel inspection platform built with NECTEC in which a drone flies a pre-planned route automatically and AI detects cracks, hotspots and degradation and writes the report. It was trialled on a 1 MW array in Mae Hong Son and is said to cut inspection time sharply.
- 1 MW trial at the Pha Bong smart grid site: about 180 minutes down to about 40 minutes
- Inspection time reduced by up to 80% (EGAT figure)
- Context: EGAT floating solar at Sirindhorn and Ubol Ratana dams
⚠ Single trial site; no detection accuracy reported / Drone and camera models not stated; service to private operators is a future plan
Why selected: Official EGAT article; joint development with NECTEC (national research agency) with a measured time figure
research_paper · 2021-06-24
Application of unmanned aerial vehicle to inspection of building construction project
A national civil engineering conference paper from Chiang Mai University comparing small-drone inspection of building works with manual inspection. On a roof replacement and a parking structure, the drone captured poorly laid tiles, walls and welded truss joints. It finds the method convenient and safer but lists concrete limits: the camera cannot tilt upward, thin wires are not detected, and wind or rain stop flights.
- DJI Mavic Air 2; about 25–30 min real flight time versus 34 min rated, because of wind
- Photos taken at about 2 m from walls and connections
- Parking building 8 m × 24 m × 4 m, reinforced concrete with welded truss roof
⚠ No measured time or cost comparison; speed advantage based on supervisor feedback / Undersides of roofs could not be photographed; pilot must keep line of sight
Why selected: Peer-reviewed paper at Thailand's national civil engineering convention (NCCE)
research_paper · 2024-06-21
Application of unmanned aircraft (drones) in high-rise building and risk area inspection
Abstract of a paper in a Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University journal on using drones to inspect high-rise construction. The operator views live video on a smartphone and records images so supervisors can assess the site and its risks before entering. It claims shorter inspection time and better safety.
- Tamnak Journal Vol. 1 No. 2, pp. 11–23
⚠ Only the abstract was read; it reports no quantitative results or named sites
Why selected: Thai academic journal indexed on ThaiJO; Thai-language practice-oriented study
research_paper · 2022-09-20
Investigation of bridge inspection using unmanned aerial vehicle
Abstract of a national civil engineering conference paper from Chulalongkorn University testing whether point clouds and orthophotos made from drone photos can support visual bridge inspection. Checked against the real bridge, distance errors were small but damage assessment errors remained noticeable.
- GSD 0.5 cm/pixel, 80% overlap and sidelap, 29 control and check points
- Average orthophoto distance error 1.14%
- Average damage-assessment error 12.37% against 26 damage locations
⚠ Only the abstract was read; bridge not named / Same research group as th-27
Why selected: Peer-reviewed paper at Thailand's national civil engineering convention with quantitative accuracy results
research_paper · 2022
Application of unmanned aerial vehicle system to visually inspect reinforced concrete bridges based on photogrammetry
Abstract of a Chulalongkorn University master's thesis. It inspected reinforced concrete bridges by drone photogrammetry following the Department of Highways' BMMS manual, and determined the number of control points needed and the errors in coordinates, distances and damage size by element. Smaller damage showed larger size errors.
- Stable results with 6 control points for the superstructure and 4 each for sides and piers
- Average coordinate and distance error 1.42%
- Damage-size error 21.87% (small), 19.55% (medium), 0.83% (large)
⚠ Only the abstract was read; bridge site not stated / Same author as th-26; separate publication with different figures
Why selected: Thesis from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand's leading engineering school, tied to the national highway bridge manual
research_paper · 2022-09-20
A study of image processing technique using an unmanned aerial vehicle for wearing surface assessment
Abstract of a national civil engineering conference paper that photographs reinforced concrete bridge deck surfaces by drone and measures the area, size and shape of damage with image processing. It motivates the work by noting that conventional visual inspection needs lane closures, causing congestion and risk to inspectors.
- Targets wearing-surface damage on reinforced concrete bridges
⚠ Only the abstract was read; it gives no results or site
Why selected: Peer-reviewed paper at Thailand's national civil engineering convention
research_paper · 2025-03-13
Assessing damage to a solar farm using photographs and thermal images from unmanned aerial vehicles
Abstract of a paper surveying a ground-mounted solar farm on a university campus in Narathiwat by drone photography and thermal imaging after five years of operation. It found cracked front glass, soiling, weed shading, internal corrosion and delamination, and hotspots, and concludes that drones save time and cost on large plants.
- Plant capacity 502.2 kWp
- References cite a DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced
⚠ Only the abstract was read; no counts or percentages given there
Why selected: Thai university journal on ThaiJO; a domestic, named-site solar case