not trying to start drama but genuinely curious how strict people are about this. i travel a lot for work and i always bring a drone but honestly the rules in different countries are so inconsistent and hard to figure out that sometimes i just kind of... use common sense and go for it if the area looks clear and theres no obvious reason not to fly.

like last month i was in vietnam and spent probably 2 hours trying to figure out the actual current regulations and got completely contradictory information from 3 different sources. ended up just flying low and keeping it close, nothing crazy. no issues.

i do always check notams and use aloft or a similar app but beyond that im not going through a full permit application for every country i visit for 4 days lol

vietnam is actually one where i would be more careful tbh, ive heard of people getting gear confiscated there and it being a whole thing to get it back. that said i get what your saying, the rules are genuinely a mess in a lot of southeast asia and even the locals dont always know whats current.

i usually just ask at the hotel or guesthouse, like a local person who would actually know if theres been any recent enforcement in the area. works better than any app ive tried for places outside the US or europe

this is exactly the kind of stuff that gives drone pilots a bad rep imo. like i get that the rules are confusing but winging it in a foreign country is how someone ends up in a situation that makes the news and then everyone else gets more restrictions because of it. not saying your wrong for being frustrated with the system but still