Thailand Will Soon Pass Out Space Activities Act

JAKARTA - Soon Thailand will enact the Space Activities Law. Later, this law will form a new state agency that is committed to setting space policy.

Not only that, but the Space Activities Act will also serve as a basis for promoting the country's space-related economy and technology.

"This (law) will help Thailand catch up with rapidly developing space technology and provide opportunities for global space agencies to transfer their knowledge and experience to Thai personnel at professional, college and school levels", said the Minister of Higher Education, Thai Science, Research and Innovation, Anek Laothamatas.

The Space Act will regulate potential launches or spaceports (including their construction), the creation of satellites, space applications, space tourism, space mining, and research experiments in outer space.

Compiled from SpaceNews, Tuesday 10 August, Thailand's cabinet has approved the version of the draft law (RUU) on 13 July. However, for the bill to become law, it must have the support of the State Council and Parliament.

"The law will bring benefits to the country at large both economically and socially as the basis for the New Space Economy", said Laothamatas.

"This will also encourage cooperation and investment between domestic and foreign parties in the space industry that can benefit the country both economically and socially", he added.

As is well known, Thailand has more than 35,000 space-related businesses and industries, the collective annual income of which is estimated at 1.67 billion US dollars.

Citing OpenGovAsia, 95 percent of them are small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as well as start-ups. Further support and investment will bring economic benefits in some areas of potential revenue generation for the country.

Therefore, Thailand must have legal and organizational criteria to support the growing aerospace industry. To keep up with advances in space technology, the government also needs to cooperate with the private sector.

A little over a year ago, the Royal Thai Air Force ordered a second Earth observation satellite from Dutch company NewSpace, under a contract that covers the ground segment, satellite commissioning, and training. The contract is a showcase for the delivery-in-orbit model.

Meanwhile, in December 2020, the science minister unveiled an ambitious goal to build and launch Thailand's first indigenous lunar exploration spacecraft in seven years.