A tourist from Hong Kong was arrested for flying a drone over the Royal Palace on Saturday but was soon released after agreeing not to do it again, according to an Interior Ministry official.
The Phnom Penh municipal government banned the use of drones without prior approval in February on the grounds of privacy and public security, following their increasing use around the city.
On Sunday, Seang Sen, director of the Interior Ministry’s internal security department, said the tourist, Wong Tiga, 40, was arrested after flying his video camera-mounted drone over the palace from the top of his hotel near the National Museum.
“The man flew his drone in front of the Royal Palace, then he flew it over the garden inside the Royal Palace,” he said.
“We inspected his documents and he is a tourist who just came here for pleasure.
We made a contract, educated him and let him go.”
In a similar incident, a pair of Chinese tourists were arrested and released for flying a drone over the Royal Palace in July.
