Thailand Deploys Drone System for Flood Disaster Response
Thailand's National Research Council has launched drone technology centers across four provinces, including one in flood-prone Nan, to improve disaster response and deliver aid to remote areas during emergencies.
Thailand's National Research Council (NRC) under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation has launched a field inspection of drone technology research and innovation for flood preparedness in Nan province. Dr. Wipharatna Di-ong, director of the NRC, led a delegation including academics and local officials to the Drone Technology Center in Chiang Chai subdistrict, Pua district, Nan province on August 8, 2025.
Dr. Di-ong stated that the NRC aims to apply research and innovation practically in local communities, with drone technology improving survey efficiency, situation assessment, and aid delivery to hard-to-reach areas. The initiative focuses on building local capacity through training drone pilots and volunteers for sustained emergency response. Large drones can carry 70–80 kilograms of supplies including food, water, and emergency goods.
Pua district, which receives water from multiple areas and faces high flood risk, will benefit from the drone center's enhanced monitoring and rapid response capabilities. Chiang Chai subdistrict has a funnel-shaped topography that collects runoff from several districts, making it vulnerable to flooding; over 600 households in nine villages were previously affected.
The NRC is supporting four drone disaster response centers nationwide in Nan, Chiang Rai, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Songkhla provinces, providing knowledge, equipment, and personnel training to enable efficient surveying, monitoring, warning, and disaster impact mitigation.
