Thailand Post tests parcel delivery by drone

Thailand Post tests parcel delivery by drone

Drones fly over Sing Buri Technical College in Sing Buri province in the first test by Thailand Post on Wednesday. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)
Drones fly over Sing Buri Technical College in Sing Buri province in the first test by Thailand Post on Wednesday. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)

Thailand Post tested drone delivery for the first time on Wednesday with a plan to start delivering medicines to patients difficult to reach by regular mail carriers.

The mail delivery service tested drone delivery at Sing Buri Technical College by flying a fleet of drones with medicine parcels to a destination located about 500 metres away.

Sing Buri was selected for the test location as it is one of the provinces regularly afflicted by floods that obstruct traditional delivery, according to a Thailand Post official.

Thailand Post President Dhanant Subhadrabandhu said medicines would be the first parcels delivered by drone to patients living in remote areas when the new service is launched.

The start date for the unmanned service has not been set.

The drone fleet is part of Thailand Post's commitment to bring in new technology to improve its services, Mr Dhanant said.

The company has been selected by more than 400 hospitals to deliver medicines to patients at home during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said in a ceremony to test the drones that they could give people better access to health services.

SingPost in Singapore has used drones as postmen since it tested the unmanned service in 2015.

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