Northern Thailand
Drone photo & video in Chiang Mai
In short
Drone photo & video in Chiang Mai — from $249. 60 min on location with a vetted local drone pilot; you receive 20 edited photos + 30–60-second aerial clip, plus the edited photos. The price is agreed before you book and does not move.
Why book a drone photo & video in Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai sits in a valley under Doi Suthep, and the mountain decides the session: the whole city from the top in December, nothing at all through the smoke in March. That is what decides how a drone photo & video is planned here: the drone pilot you work with lives in Chiang Mai and shoots across Northern Thailand all year, so they are not seeing the place for the first time alongside you. That prior knowledge is the difference between a session that keeps to its schedule and one spent looking for a frame.
The hour matters more than the location. For Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the window to aim for is from six until the tour minibuses arrive, around nine. The session runs 60 min and is built around that window rather than your diary: between ten and four the tropical sun is almost overhead, and timing is the one variable that genuinely changes the result.
What does the session in Chiang Mai look like?
The flight is planned in advance: take-off point, height and where the sun will be. We usually start at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, then Wat Pha Lat where flying is permitted; where it is not, we pick the nearest place that is and tell you before you book.
Best photo spots in Chiang Mai
Where we take this session, and the hour each place is at its best.
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
- From six until the tour minibuses arrive, around nine
- Wat Pha Lat
- Early morning
- Wat Chedi Luang
- Late afternoon, from about four
- Tha Phae Gate and the moat
- Seven in the morning; avoid Sunday evening unless you want the market
- Wat Ban Den, Mae Taeng
- Morning, or the last two hours of daylight
- Doi Inthanon — the Royal Twin Pagodas
- Sunrise; leave Chiang Mai around four
No travel charge to hotels in: Old City, Nimman, Santitham, Riverside (Wat Ket), Doi Suthep, Hang Dong, Mae Rim, Mae Taeng, San Kamphaeng.
Chiang Mai photo guide: seasons, light and permits →What does the package include?
The Drone photo & video package in Chiang Mai covers: Registered drone, licensed and insured pilot; Flight plan checked against no-fly zones and park rules; 20 edited aerial photos + 30–60-second clip; Delivered within 3–5 days. Nothing is added to the price after the session. Permits worth knowing about: Wat Phra That Doi Suthep — Small entrance fee for foreign visitors; shoulders and knees covered, shoes off on the inner terrace; Wat Chedi Luang — Ticketed for foreign visitors; shoulders and knees covered. The ruined chedi is not to be climbed; Doi Inthanon — the Royal Twin Pagodas — National park entrance fee for foreign visitors, plus a separate ticket for the pagodas; drones need park permission.
FAQ — Drone photo & video in Chiang Mai
Drone photo & video in Chiang Mai: what time should we book?
For Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, aim for from six until the tour minibuses arrive, around nine. At a busy location, two hours either way changes what can be framed at all.
Do we need a permit to shoot in Chiang Mai?
At some locations, yes: Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (Small entrance fee for foreign visitors; shoulders and knees covered, shoes off on the inner terrace); Wat Chedi Luang (Ticketed for foreign visitors; shoulders and knees covered. The ruined chedi is not to be climbed); Doi Inthanon — the Royal Twin Pagodas (National park entrance fee for foreign visitors, plus a separate ticket for the pagodas; drones need park permission). We handle it and tell you at booking, not on the day.
What happens if it rains in Chiang Mai?
We move the session to another slot or another day at no cost. A tropical downpour usually passes within the hour; if you are only here briefly, we switch to sheltered locations scouted in advance rather than cancelling.
When do we get the results from Chiang Mai?
20 edited photos + 30–60-second aerial clip, plus the edited photos. Timing is as listed in the package — delivered within 3–5 days — in a private online gallery, downloadable at full resolution from any country.