Bangkok, Thailand. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has selected the UK CAA’s technical cooperation arm, CAA International (CAAi), to review, draft and implement new ICAO compliant aviation regulations and procedures.

Under the next phase of the capacity building programme, CAAi will assess the Thai Aviation Board Regulations (CABRs) against the ICAO Annexes, Standards and Recommended Practices and EASA standards, and support CAAT in redrafting the Thai regulations to align with the requirements of Thailand’s aviation industry. CAAi will also assist CAAT with the development of procedures, manuals, forms and checklists to support the practical implementation of the new regulations.

CAAi has been working with CAAT since 2016 to help create a sustainable aviation regulator for Thailand. In 2017, CAAi helped CAAT recertify its Thai registered international airlines to ICAO standards, which led to the removal of a Significant Safety Concern (SSC) raised by ICAO in 2015.

The agreement was signed at a special ceremony in Bangkok by Dr Chula Sukmanop, Director General at CAA Thailand and Ms Maria Rueda, Managing Director at CAAi. Speaking after the ceremony, Rueda said, “We are delighted to continue our support to CAA Thailand. With over 800,000 people flying to Thailand from the UK alone each year, the UK CAA remains committed to helping CAAT strengthen its regulatory framework to best support Thailand’s projected market growth over the years to come.”

Also in attendance was Mr Mark Smithson, Deputy Director for the British Embassy’s Department of International Trade. Commenting after the ceremony, Smithson said, “I am delighted to attend the signing of the agreement between the CAAi and the Ministry of Transport to develop new regulations and continue to raise aviation safety in Thailand. The ongoing collaboration and sharing of expertise between the CAAi and the Thai authorities to build long-term sustainability, local capacity and raise aviation standards exemplifies the close ties and depth of the partnership between our two countries”.

The project is expected to start immediately and last 26 months.

For more information or media enquiries, please email international@caa.co.uk