PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

The proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, has reconfigured the nature of warfare. Unlike human soldiers, who require rest and sustenance, these machines can operate ceaselessly. In the early stages, the United States (US) had a near-monopoly on them. However, in recent years, numerous nations have either acquired or plan to integrate such technologies. Despite the significance of all this for global stability, the international literature has often overlooked public perceptions, especially those from the Global South. This paper attempts to bridge this gap via online qualitative interviews with adult individuals who identified as Thai nationals or as being of Thai descent. It also assesses how Just War Theory (JWT) and international law impose limitations or fail to provide explicit constraints on drone deployment. The authors built their arguments on Posthuman Buddhism, a synthesis of Buddhist thought and Posthumanist theory, which unsettles anthropocentric premises. They construed data collection and analysis on Interpretative Phenomenology, chosen for its ability to elicit participants’ experiential interpretations and meaning-making processes. Findings reveal that although most individuals acknowledged the tactical advantages UAVs offer to armies, they pointed out the substantial risks to society, such as the possibility of turning anyone into a target. Furthermore, there was unanimous concern that drones reduce the weight of lethal decisions, transforming them into video game-like acts. The manuscript concludes with a proposal for legal measures grounded in religious ethics, urging decision-makers to pursue nonviolent alternatives and to require public audits before resorting to armed responses.