Photographer Fined S$15,000 for Operating Drone Over Singapore Military Areas Without Permits
A Thai freelance photographer was fined S$15,000 after flying an unpermitted drone that captured footage of two protected military sites in western Singapore. Prayut Rittichaipornkul, 32, had been hired to photograph a Singapore office near Pasir Laba Camp and SAFTI Military Institute, and deployed his DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone after being dissatisfied with handheld camera results. The case highlights Singapore's strict enforcement of airspace regulations around sensitive military installations.
Prayut Rittichaipornkul, a 32-year-old Thai freelance photographer based in Bangkok, pleaded guilty on June 12 to two charges under Singapore's Air Navigation Act and related regulations, with five additional similar charges taken into consideration. He had been engaged by C&R Interiors, a Singapore-registered company whose local office is located near Pasir Laba Camp and SAFTI Military Institute, to photograph the premises for marketing materials. On April 21, 2026, dissatisfied with handheld camera footage, he launched his DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone without the required unmanned aircraft operator permit or Class 1 activity permit, flying it for approximately 26 minutes and reaching a maximum altitude of about 459 metres. The Republic of Singapore Air Force detected the drone entering protected airspace within minutes and alerted the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, which traced it back to Prayut. Police seized the drone, which contained at least 18 video recordings, three of which captured parts of the protected military areas. The court imposed the S$15,000 fine requested by the prosecution, well below the maximum penalty of S$50,000 or two years' imprisonment for each offence.
What's missing
It is unclear whether C&R Interiors or its employee who invited Prayut to photograph the premises faced any legal consequences for facilitating the drone operation near protected areas.
What different sources said
- Channel NewsAsiaCenter
Photographer fined S$15,000 after flying drone which captured parts of SAFTI, Pasir Laba Camp
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