Myanmar: Officially The Worst Place To Fly Your Drone…

Other than airports of course…

Drones are all the rage these days as travelers seek to capture their travel memories in a cinematic 4K quality, once only reserved for the Hollywood elite. They are fun, compact and bring angles which not even the longest of ladders ever could, and are particularly handy where no ladder could go anyway – aka the crashing beautiful waves of a tropical beach. In certain parts of the world however, they can lead to capturing a different kind of image: a prison mugshot.

Drones are extremely easy to acquire, even arriving the very next day via things like Amazon Prime. But if you don’t read up, they can land any user in a lot of trouble. That’s particularly true in the uber popular Southeast Asian destination of Myanmar, where the sheer act of bringing a drone into the country carries up to a three year prison term.

According to the New York Times, 27 year old French tourist Michel Desclaux is now facing up to three years in a Myanmar prison for flying his drone. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. he faces three months for flying his drone, but also three years just for bringing the device into the country. This is a law which many would argue has not been well publicized, or known at all. Did you know drones are also banned in: Morocco, Cuba and Barbados, just to name a few?

The point: learn the local laws and rules regarding drones before you charge one up and pack it into your carry on. Aside from the obvious no-no’s like flying drones near government buildings, airports or restricted areas, its crucial to be mindful that there are parts of the world where unmanned aerial vehicle aren’t permitted. Even the greatest beach shot isn’t worth a day in prison.