Thai airport officials have tightened anti-drone measures as drones were spotted near Bangkok's main airport during a flight ban.

Kittipong Kittikachorn, director of Suvarnabhumi International Airport, met with military, police, and government officials to discuss anti-drone plans on December 22.

The meeting was held after spooked residents recorded seeing unmanned aerial vehicles allegedly hovering near the airport on December 20.

Kittipong said the drones did not enter restricted airspace and remained outside the airport perimeter.

Airport staff have since coordinated with relevant agencies to install signal jammers and drone detectors as officers were deployed to conduct round-the-clock patrols around the airport.

Kittipong said the National Security Council has approved the purchase of state-of-the-art anti-drone equipment, though procurement will take time. The Royal Thai Air Force and police have deployed anti-aircraft weapons to be used in the meantime.

Kittipong said: 'Suvarnabhumi Airport and security agencies assure passengers and tourists that the airport meets international safety standards, and personnel are ready to manage incidents at all times.'

He warned that anyone flying drones within airport zones could incur penalties including life imprisonment or capital punishment, as airports are classified as maximum-security areas.

Police Lieutenant General Wattana Yichin, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 1, said he has ordered a survey of all drone owners in the area, including inspections of their licences and permits to fly.

He added: 'Public awareness campaigns on security measures are also being conducted. Furthermore, a survey of shops selling drones and warehouses storing them in the area is being conducted to prevent their illegal use. I have also instructed local police to survey residences and identify suspicious individuals, both Thai and foreign nationals, who may be involved in security-related matters in the area.'

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand had issued drone curbs in seven zones on December 9, amid the territorial conflict along the Thai-Cambodian border.

Drone flights were banned in seven border provinces, as well as areas within a nine-kilometre (five miles) radius of designated airports.

Territorial conflict flared up earlier this year before a brief ceasefire, but started again this month when Cambodian troops are said to have fired on a Thai engineering team building an access road in a disputed border area.

In the most recent battles, at least 22 Thai soldiers and one civilian have been killed.

In Cambodia, the number of military fatalities is believed to be much higher, though regime chiefs have not revealed the actual figure.

Around 600,000 people have been displaced on both sides of the border.

Cambodia's assault has largely been wayward, unguided rockets fired indiscriminately into Thai territory, including an attack on July 24 that killed eight people and injured 13 others. Thailand has used precision drone strikes and fighter jet strikes on military sites.

Former Khmer Rouge commander Hun Sen has repeatedly claimed that he wants peace and that Thailand is the aggressor.

Thai officials claim the ongoing border confrontations are a threat to national security, and the areas must be secured.