{"id":218864,"date":"2026-10-03T18:30:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T11:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.caat.or.th\/?post_type=caat_media&p=218864"},"modified":"2026-10-03T18:30:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T11:30:36","slug":"218864","status":"publish","type":"caat_media","link":"https:\/\/www.caat.or.th\/en\/caat-media\/218864\/","title":{"rendered":"CAAT Partners with Ministry of Public Health, NBTC, Chiang Mai Province and True Corporation to Launch Medical Drone Operations in Mae Chaem"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On 3 October 2026, Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), together with CAAT officials, supported the launch of Medical Drone operations in Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai. The initiative brings together the Ministry of Public Health, CAAT, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), Chiang Mai Province, True Corporation, Debaratana Vejjanukula Hospital Commemorating Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s 60th Birthday Anniversary, and Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) to explore how unmanned aircraft, healthcare services, telecommunications, and community networks can work together to improve healthcare access in remote areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative was held in honour of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and was officially launched by Mr. Pattana Promphat, Minister of Public Health, with representatives from participating agencies, healthcare professionals, VHVs, and partner organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mae Chaem\u2019s mountainous terrain and dispersed communities can make ground travel between healthcare facilities and remote areas time-consuming and challenging, particularly due to road and weather conditions. The operation therefore provides a real-world environment to test how Medical Drones can work alongside telemedicine, telecommunications, and local healthcare networks to help overcome geographical barriers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Chief Marshal Manat said, \u201cToday, we are not simply testing how far a Medical Drone can fly. We are testing whether the entire system from hospitals and healthcare professionals to telecommunications, unmanned aircraft, Village Health Volunteers, and local communities can work together to bring healthcare services closer to the people. CAAT\u2019s role is to strike the right balance between enabling new technologies and ensuring that operations are conducted safely. Data from real-world operations will help us develop an appropriate regulatory framework so that aviation innovation can deliver tangible benefits to society.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building on previous Medical Drone trials in Pua District, Nan Province, the Mae Chaem operation expanded testing through three key missions. Critical NCD Care tested medicine delivery to patients with non-communicable diseases, reducing a 28 kilometre round trip by road, which takes approximately 1 hour and 4 minutes, to around 14 minutes by drone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intelligent Resilient Logistics tested an integrated transport model combining ground vehicles, unmanned aircraft, and motorcycles to deliver medicines and medical supplies to hard-to-reach areas over a combined 69 kilometre round trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The third mission, Beyond the Distance, tested a long-range automated eVTOL flight between Mae Chaem, Chiang Mai, and Mae Hong Son province. The planned 100 kilometre round-trip flight took approximately 1 hour and 9 minutes, compared with a 188 kilometre round trip by road taking around 4 hours and 40 minutes. The test will provide operational data for the future development of long-distance and cross-area medical logistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond air transport, the initiative connects hospitals and healthcare professionals with telemedicine, telecommunications, and Village Health Volunteers, creating an integrated healthcare delivery network from medical facilities to patients in local communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Thailand\u2019s civil aviation authority responsible for the regulation, oversight, promotion, and development of civil aviation, CAAT oversees unmanned aircraft operations under applicable regulatory and safety requirements. Operational data on flight routes, terrain, weather, communications, control systems, and risk management will also support the development of regulatory approaches for increasingly diverse and complex unmanned aircraft operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative is expected to be further expanded in Nan Province, with plans for round-trip Medical Drone operations connecting Pua Crown Prince Hospital with 13 communities. Medicines and medical supplies would be transported outbound, while blood samples and medical specimens would be carried on return flights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CAAT will continue to use lessons from real-world operations to develop an appropriate regulatory framework that balances aviation safety with opportunities for innovation, supporting the responsible use of unmanned aircraft for healthcare, remote communities, disaster response, and other public-benefit missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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