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Thai Air Force turns to drones to detect illegal crossings

The Royal Thai Armed Forces announced earlier this week that it would be upping the drone presence along the Thailand-Myanmar border to detect and prevent illegal entries into the country in the run-up before the festive season.

Drones will be used on aerial patrols along the border, focusing on the natural borders such as rivers that separate the two countries.

The country has already been using drones to step up its surveillance game over the last few years, with positive results coming from the teams using them. The drones will likely be equipped with a thermal camera to ensure night owls can’t sneak into Thailand under cover of darkness.

Maj-Gen Chakrapong Chanpengpen of the Royal Thai Armed Forces’ Security Emergency Situation Operations Center also shared that there will be an increase in the number of cameras and barriers to physically limit the number of people that try to get across.

A large number of police, military, and volunteers will also be posted along with known entry points along the border conducting searches to ensure no one is getting in illegally. The increase along the border is too hopefully slow the spread of COVID.

The Thailand Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration said that 38 cases had been linked to people returning to the country from Myanmar. Of the 38, at least five are known to have snuck into the country and have spread the virus further.

Drones and COVID-19

Drones have been present throughout the global pandemic, with some saying that this demonstrates how truly useful they are. Recently, the University of California San Diego (UCSD) developed a disinfecting drone with UV-C lights. Many countries are using drones to disinfect public areas, along with monitoring busy areas to ensure people are following social distancing rules.

Photo: Robin Noguier

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Avatar for Joshua Spires Joshua Spires

Josh started in the drone community in 2012 with a drone news Twitter account. Over the years Josh has gained mass exposure from his aerial photography work and spends his days writing drone content for DroneDJ as well as pursuing his business.