NRCT Establishes Drone Photography Centre at Nong Bua Daeng Witthaya School, Chaiyaphum

On 26 October 2026, the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, in collaboration with the Radio Control Airplane Modeler Sport Association, held an opening ceremony for a learning centre and knowledge-transfer activities on drones for photography and tourism promotion at Nong Bua Daeng Witthaya School, Nong Bua Daeng District, Chaiyaphum Province. The ceremony was presided over by Dr Wiparat De-ong, Executive Director of the National Research Council of Thailand, with Mr Pisit Mitkuakul, President of the Radio Control Airplane Modeler Sport Association, delivering the introductory report, and Dr Noppadol Kanchanangkul, Director of Nong Bua Daeng Witthaya School, welcoming the delegation of experts. The establishment of this centre aims to apply research and innovation to develop practical skills for youth and the general public, building towards promoting tourism in Chaiyaphum Province.

Building on Research and Innovation to Promote Chaiyaphum Tourism

Dr Wiparat De-ong, Executive Director of the National Research Council of Thailand, stated that this collaboration aims to apply research knowledge for the direct benefit of the community. Chaiyaphum Province possesses distinctive cultural and tourism attractions, and using unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, for photography and publicity helps convey the beauty of the area to a wider public. Furthermore, these skills can be extended to applications in agriculture, land surveying and disaster response.

Meanwhile, Nong Bua Daeng Witthaya School has the potential to develop into a primary learning hub supporting tourism and other missions in the future. The National Research Council of Thailand expects that this centre will help nurture youth talent and encourage students to advance to drone competitions and contests at both regional and national levels.

Support for Practical Training Equipment and Modern Curriculum Development

Mr Pisit Mitkuakul, President of the Radio Control Airplane Modeler Sport Association, said that the centre aims to encourage students, educational personnel and the public to gain comprehensive knowledge of unmanned aerial vehicle operations, covering both photography for provincial publicity and coding flight control commands. The Radio Control Airplane Modeler Sport Association has provided a complete set of equipment for hands-on training.

• Photography drone equipment: Used to train aerial photography skills for tourism promotion
• Coding training drone equipment: Used to learn flight control through command programming
• Flight Simulator system: Used for virtual flight control training along with related equipment

Dr Noppadol Kanchanangkul, Director of Nong Bua Daeng Witthaya School, expressed his gratitude to the National Research Council of Thailand and the Radio Control Airplane Modeler Sport Association for helping to develop students' skills. This support provides youth with access to modern technology and enables them to apply the knowledge to improve their quality of life in daily living. The school is ready to modernise its curriculum in both drones and artificial intelligence (AI) to sustainably prepare learners for future changes.

Learning Centre Opening Ceremony Details

This news is of interest to event organisers, hotel professionals and tourism operators in Chaiyaphum Province, who can build upon aerial photography media produced by local youth to promote accommodation and various activities. For general travellers, using drones to capture the beauty of tourist attractions and culture in Nong Bua Daeng District will make it easier to discover new perspectives of Chaiyaphum Province. This lays a foundation for developing a new generation of personnel to participate in driving local tourism sustainably.