Court accepts petition to revoke foreign pilot employment

The Administrative Court has accepted the Thai Pilots Association’s petition to revoke the Labour Ministry’s announcement permitting foreign nationals to serve as pilots in Thailand through a wet lease arrangement.

Association president Captain Teerawat Angkasakulkiat said on Friday that the association’s legal team is preparing additional documents on the announcement’s impact on Thailand’s aviation industry for submission to the court.

He argued that the Labour Ministry’s decision violates existing laws and aviation industry principles. The emergency decree on foreign employment administration BE 2560 (2017) designates piloting as a profession exclusively reserved for Thai nationals.

Exceptions to this restriction are allowed only under three circumstances: national security, economic stability or disaster prevention. However, Teerawat asserted that the ministry’s justification of promoting tourism does not qualify as an exception.

Furthermore, he noted that allowing foreign pilots to work in Thailand under a wet lease arrangement contradicts the Air Navigation Act BE 2497 (1954), which mandates that aircraft navigators hold Thai nationality.

Captain Teerawat Angkasakulkiat, president of Thai Pilots Association

Teerawat emphasised that the policy adversely affects the Thai aviation sector and economy. He highlighted that over 1,700 Thai pilots are currently unemployed, meaning there is no shortage of qualified pilots to meet the industry’s needs.

He warned that relying on foreign pilots could destabilise the aviation sector in the long run and limit opportunities for Thai pilots to advance their skills.

Teerawat also raised concerns over aviation security, saying that allowing foreign pilots to operate domestic flights could impact Thailand’s civil aviation system. The policy might also lead international aviation organisations to impose stricter oversight on the country.

“The Thai Pilots Association reaffirms that supporting Thai pilots is essential for the sustainable growth of the country’s aviation industry,” he stated.

The association urged the government to reconsider and revoke the announcement to safeguard Thai pilots' rights and uphold internationally recognised aviation standards.