The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has partnered with True Corporation Plc. and key allies, including the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), and Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (AEROTHAI), to launch the “Medical Unmanned Aircraft (Drone) Operations Project” in honor of His Majesty the King. The initiative introduces SkyBridge, Thailand’s first autonomous air logistics management platform for public health, designed to bypass geographical barriers and reduce transport times for medicines and medical supplies in mountainous areas during crises. The project plans to expand to 10 additional remote locations, including Debaratana Vejjanukula Hospital in Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai, to integrate drone technology into both routine and emergency healthcare systems.
This initiative marks Thailand’s first deployment of long-range medical drones integrated with “True SkyBridge,” an Autonomous Air Logistics Platform developed by True Corporation’s Research and Innovation Center. Operating on True’s network, the multi-brand compatible platform utilizes AI for flight data and safety management. The system made its official debut under the “Pua Model” in Nan Province, a region with steep mountains, winding cliffside roads, and scattered communities facing seasonal risks of heavy rainfall, landslides, and flash floods that disrupt ground transport. SkyBridge is engineered to withstand these terrain and climate challenges, ensuring that distance and time are no longer barriers to patient care during emergencies.
The core of this operation is a collaborative effort to establish an intelligent, secure, and auditable medical logistics infrastructure capable of scaling into a nationwide network. Powered by True SkyBridge, the prototype network connects hospitals, medical units, public health personnel, and the public. This deployment aligns with True Corporation’s commitment to utilizing its digital technologies and network capabilities to develop innovations that improve quality of life and create sustainable value for society.
Narin Kalayanamit, an adviser to the public health minister stated that the MOPH aims to enhance healthcare access and equity for citizens in frontier, remote, and underserved areas in line with the Royal Initiative. The integration of medical drones addresses the difficulties of transporting patients, medicines, and medical supplies in mountainous and forested zones prone to flash floods or mudslides. Following earlier successful flight trials in coastal areas that bypassed maritime limitations, medical drones are now being used to elevate healthcare access and boost disaster readiness.
The MOPH expressed gratitude to True Corporation for providing drone technology, communication systems, and technical knowledge, as well as to the NBTC, CAAT, AEROTHAI, and local authorities. Following this pilot, the model will be expanded to 10 additional remote areas, including Debaratana Vejjanukula Hospital in Chiang Mai, to enhance public health logistics during both routine operations and disaster situations.
Ekaraj Panjavinin, Head of Research and Innovation at True Corporation Plc., explained that True SkyBridge offers end-to-end management for medical transport missions. Features include route planning, payload quality monitoring, real-time flight tracking, fleet control, and automated documentation recording flight times and coordinates. Powered by True’s network, the platform enables secure, traceable, and fast delivery of medicines, medical supplies, and medical samples.
During the launch under the “Pua Model,” two demonstration flights were successfully operated:
- NCD Continuity Model: Transports medicines for patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) from Phaya Pha Nong Stadium to Ban Rong Ngae Community Square, returning with medical samples. The 4-kilometer round trip took approximately 3.5 minutes, reducing travel time by 50% compared to the 7 minutes required by road.
- Disaster Response Model: Delivers medicines to remote areas cut off by land transport, crossing steep mountains and dense forests from Phaya Pha Nong Stadium to the basketball court at Ban Nam Pua School, returning with medical samples. The 46-kilometer round trip took approximately 35 minutes, cutting travel time by 70% compared to the 2+ hours required by road.
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