Skydiving Camera Package in Thailand: Handcam or Outside?

A skydiving camera package is the only way to bring home footage of a tandem jump in Thailand, because personal cameras are not allowed on tandem skydives at either Pattaya dropzone. You have three choices: handcam (your instructor films you), an outside cameraman (a second skydiver films you), or both angles together. This guide compares the three on price, what each one captures and who it suits, using the packages Pattaya Skydiving lists for Thai Sky Adventures and Dropzone Thailand.

Quick answer

Why you cannot bring your own GoPro

Personal cameras, including GoPros, are not allowed on tandem skydives at either Pattaya dropzone because a mounted camera is a snag hazard during parachute deployment. A strap, a mount or a wrist tether can catch a line at the moment the canopy opens, and that is the one moment in the jump where nothing should be in the way.

There is a second reason. At roughly 200 km/h a first-time passenger has no spare attention for a camera; your hands are busy with the arch position from the 20-minute briefing. Camera flying is treated as a skill for experienced skydivers by bodies such as the USPA, and the handcam and outside cameraman put the camera in those hands.

So the question is never "camera package or my own camera". It is "which camera package".

Handcam: your instructor films you

The handcam is a small camera fixed to your instructor's wrist or glove. It points at you for the whole jump: the door, the exit, the full 60 seconds of freefall, the canopy opening and the two and a half minutes under the parachute with the Chonburi coastline behind you.

Because the camera is at arm's length, handcam footage is close and personal: every expression is on film. It also captures the parachute ride, which an outside cameraman cannot follow, because the cameraman opens his own canopy and lands separately.

The handcam is the only camera angle on a Pattaya tandem jump that records both the 60 seconds of freefall and the two-and-a-half-minute canopy ride.

What it does not do is show the scene around you. You will see the sky and a slice of the sea, but not your whole body against the Gulf of Thailand, and not the aircraft receding above you.

Handcam is the Deluxe package at Dropzone Thailand. At Thai Sky Adventures the handcam comes only in VIP+, together with the outside cameraman and photos. Maya from Singapore, who booked Deluxe, wrote: "Booked the Deluxe on a Tuesday, jumped on Wednesday. The freefall over the sea is unreal, and the video was on my phone the same evening."

Outside cameraman: a second skydiver films you

The outside cameraman is a separate, experienced skydiver with a camera on his helmet. He leaves the aircraft at the same time as you and your instructor, then flies alongside and around you during freefall. The result is the wide shot: your full body in the arch, the plane above, the coast and islands below, and the moment the drogue and then the main canopy deploy.

This is the footage people picture when they think of skydiving video: a film rather than a selfie, and the better choice if you want something to cut into a longer travel edit.

The trade-off is coverage after deployment. Once your canopy opens, the cameraman is gone, so the two and a half minutes under canopy are not on the outside angle; he will normally film you at the door before exit and again after you land.

At Dropzone Thailand the outside cameraman is the VIP package, the most popular choice there. At Thai Sky Adventures it comes as Deluxe (video only) or VIP (video plus photos). Lukas from Germany chose it: "My girlfriend cried before and laughed for two hours after. The outside cameraman got angles I did not think were possible."

Both angles: the VIP+ two-angle edit

VIP+ with both a handcam and an outside cameraman is only available at Thai Sky Adventures. You get the close-up handcam footage from the door to the landing and the wide outside footage of freefall, cut together into a single two-angle edit, plus photos. It is the most popular package at Thai Sky Adventures.

For most people this is the answer to "I only plan to do this once". The edit switches between your face and the full-body view, so nothing is missing: not the reaction at the door, not the wide shot over the sea, not the canopy ride. Elif from Türkiye, who booked VIP+: "Hotel pickup, smooth briefing, zero stress. The view of the islands from the canopy is worth the price alone. VIP+ was the right call."

VIP+ is not listed at Dropzone Thailand; if you want both angles, book Thai Sky Adventures.

Skydiving camera package prices compared

All prices are as listed on 3 September 2026. The Eco row is included so you can see what the footage itself adds to the jump.

Two things stand out. First, the step from Eco to Deluxe (฿3,550) is the largest single step, and the step from Deluxe to VIP+ at Thai Sky Adventures is only ฿1,000. Second, outside-cameraman video starts at ฿12,000 at Thai Sky Adventures (฿12,500 with photos) against ฿13,000 at Dropzone Thailand, and for that same ฿13,000 Thai Sky Adventures gives you both angles plus photos. The full package list is on the prices page, and the two dropzones are compared side by side on the locations page.

Which skydiving camera package should you choose?

Match the package to what you will do with the footage.

If you are undecided between Deluxe and VIP+ at Thai Sky Adventures, the ฿1,000 difference is small relative to the cost of the jump, and a missing angle is the harder thing to fix afterwards.

How to add a camera package to your booking

1. Pick a dropzone. Both are on the Chonburi coast and both exit at 13,000 ft over the Gulf of Thailand; the choice mostly comes down to VIP+ availability (Thai Sky Adventures only) and group size (Dropzone Thailand is good for groups).
2. Pick the package: Eco, Deluxe, VIP or VIP+. Name it in your request so the desk can reserve an outside cameraman if you need one.
3. Send the request through the booking form, WhatsApp, LINE or Telegram. Include your date, number of jumpers, weight and hotel for pickup.
4. Wait for the desk to reply. The slot is confirmed only when it does. There is no prepayment on the site and the desk never asks for card details over chat.
5. Pay in cash (Thai baht) at the dropzone desk at check-in. Card or bank transfer can be arranged on request.

The full process, including how far ahead to book, is covered in how to book skydiving in Thailand.

Small things that make the footage better

• Wear a bright, fitted top and tie long hair back; details in what to wear for skydiving in Thailand.
• Keep your eyes open and look at the camera when your instructor taps you. Closed eyes are the most common regret on handcam footage.
• Smile or scream; both look better than a clenched face.

Frequently asked questions