Thailand has successfully passed a significant safety audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), highlighting the country’s position as a leader in aviation safety, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) on Tuesday.
Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon, CAAT Director-General, announced that the ICAO recently completed an assessment of Thailand’s civil aviation safety oversight system as part of its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme–Continuous Monitoring Approach. The inspection took place from August 27 to September 8.
The audit evaluated eight key areas: primary aviation legislation and civil aviation regulations, civil aviation organization, personnel licensing, aircraft operations, airworthiness, accident and incident investigations, air navigation services, and aerodromes and ground aids.
ACM Manat reported that preliminary results for the areas within CAAT’s jurisdiction—such as legislation, civil aviation organization, operations, airworthiness, licensing, air navigation, and aerodromes—scored 91.35%, significantly surpassing the global average of 70.5%. Thailand also achieved perfect scores of 100% in two categories: aviation legislation and regulatory organization.
This outcome underscores Thailand’s strong, modern legal framework and a highly capable aviation authority comparable to top global standards.
The current results mark a significant improvement from 2015, when ICAO identified 33 critical safety issues, leading to Thailand receiving a “red flag” with a score of only 33.53%. Following reforms and the establishment of CAAT, the red flag was lifted in 2017, and safety scores have steadily advanced since then.
Although final results are still pending, ACM Manat emphasized that this success was due to collaborative efforts across the aviation sector, involving organizations such as Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, Airports of Thailand Plc, the Department of Airports, the Civil Aviation Training Centre, airlines, and various partners.
This achievement reinforces long-term confidence in Thailand’s aviation industry, supporting the growth and expansion plans of airlines operating within the country.