Flying/Instructing in Thailand
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Validation and flying in Thailand
All,
Since I've now managed to get through this process, I thought I'd share a little about the experience and how it works. This is how it worked for me at a flying club, but it's much the same for the airlines/corporate gigs.
Information dated May 2016.
1) Find a sponsor for your flying (airline, club, company, etc).
2) Apply through them for validation on your ICAO license. They will sponsor you to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT, formerly DCAA) for the written test. You must submit the requisite paperwork - copies of certificate, medical, passport, etc, plus a fee somewhere around 2,000 THB (60 USD) to CAAT.
3) They will process all the above, and about two months later, you will be scheduled for the validation test on Thai Air Law. This 20-multiple-choice-question test is given in Bangkok on a computer, makes almost no logical sense whatsoever, and is pretty easy if you cram from a good study guide (PM me for details). The material has next to nothing to do with actually flying in Thailand. Example: What year was the Thai Air Navigation Act passed?
4) Bring the test results form back to your sponsor, and submit through them an application for validation, with more copies of all of the above paperwork. Wait another month for your existing certificate to be verified with its governing civil aviation authority.
5) Receive a license to fly in Thailand... sort of. Your license is good ONLY for the specific aircraft operated by your sponsor. Could be every tail number in an airline fleet, or just the one or two planes at your company/club. Your license will have only enough privileges to cover the aircraft and operations you'll be flying - if it's a single-engine, your license won't include multiengine. Not an IFR-certificated aircraft? No instrument rating. Flying at a club? Your ATP is now a private pilot license. (If you've bought your own aircraft in Thailand, your license will be good only for that specific tail number. Rich enough to buy a second plane? Great - you'll need to apply for an additional license, specific to that aircraft.)
6) Fly.
This is why there aren't many foreigners flying in Thailand... But it can be done, with enough persistence and patience.
Good luck, and let me know if you need some help navigating this insane system.
Since I've now managed to get through this process, I thought I'd share a little about the experience and how it works. This is how it worked for me at a flying club, but it's much the same for the airlines/corporate gigs.
Information dated May 2016.
1) Find a sponsor for your flying (airline, club, company, etc).
2) Apply through them for validation on your ICAO license. They will sponsor you to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT, formerly DCAA) for the written test. You must submit the requisite paperwork - copies of certificate, medical, passport, etc, plus a fee somewhere around 2,000 THB (60 USD) to CAAT.
3) They will process all the above, and about two months later, you will be scheduled for the validation test on Thai Air Law. This 20-multiple-choice-question test is given in Bangkok on a computer, makes almost no logical sense whatsoever, and is pretty easy if you cram from a good study guide (PM me for details). The material has next to nothing to do with actually flying in Thailand. Example: What year was the Thai Air Navigation Act passed?
4) Bring the test results form back to your sponsor, and submit through them an application for validation, with more copies of all of the above paperwork. Wait another month for your existing certificate to be verified with its governing civil aviation authority.
5) Receive a license to fly in Thailand... sort of. Your license is good ONLY for the specific aircraft operated by your sponsor. Could be every tail number in an airline fleet, or just the one or two planes at your company/club. Your license will have only enough privileges to cover the aircraft and operations you'll be flying - if it's a single-engine, your license won't include multiengine. Not an IFR-certificated aircraft? No instrument rating. Flying at a club? Your ATP is now a private pilot license. (If you've bought your own aircraft in Thailand, your license will be good only for that specific tail number. Rich enough to buy a second plane? Great - you'll need to apply for an additional license, specific to that aircraft.)
6) Fly.
This is why there aren't many foreigners flying in Thailand... But it can be done, with enough persistence and patience.
Good luck, and let me know if you need some help navigating this insane system.
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All,
Since I've now managed to get through this process, I thought I'd share a little about the experience and how it works. This is how it worked for me at a flying club, but it's much the same for the airlines/corporate gigs.
Information dated May 2016.
1) Find a sponsor for your flying (airline, club, company, etc).
2) Apply through them for validation on your ICAO license. They will sponsor you to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT, formerly DCAA) for the written test. You must submit the requisite paperwork - copies of certificate, medical, passport, etc, plus a fee somewhere around 2,000 THB (60 USD) to CAAT.
3) They will process all the above, and about two months later, you will be scheduled for the validation test on Thai Air Law. This 20-multiple-choice-question test is given in Bangkok on a computer, makes almost no logical sense whatsoever, and is pretty easy if you cram from a good study guide (PM me for details). The material has next to nothing to do with actually flying in Thailand. Example: What year was the Thai Air Navigation Act passed?
4) Bring the test results form back to your sponsor, and submit through them an application for validation, with more copies of all of the above paperwork. Wait another month for your existing certificate to be verified with its governing civil aviation authority.
5) Receive a license to fly in Thailand... sort of. Your license is good ONLY for the specific aircraft operated by your sponsor. Could be every tail number in an airline fleet, or just the one or two planes at your company/club. Your license will have only enough privileges to cover the aircraft and operations you'll be flying - if it's a single-engine, your license won't include multiengine. Not an IFR-certificated aircraft? No instrument rating. Flying at a club? Your ATP is now a private pilot license. (If you've bought your own aircraft in Thailand, your license will be good only for that specific tail number. Rich enough to buy a second plane? Great - you'll need to apply for an additional license, specific to that aircraft.)
6) Fly.
This is why there aren't many foreigners flying in Thailand... But it can be done, with enough persistence and patience.
Good luck, and let me know if you need some help navigating this insane system.
Since I've now managed to get through this process, I thought I'd share a little about the experience and how it works. This is how it worked for me at a flying club, but it's much the same for the airlines/corporate gigs.
Information dated May 2016.
1) Find a sponsor for your flying (airline, club, company, etc).
2) Apply through them for validation on your ICAO license. They will sponsor you to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT, formerly DCAA) for the written test. You must submit the requisite paperwork - copies of certificate, medical, passport, etc, plus a fee somewhere around 2,000 THB (60 USD) to CAAT.
3) They will process all the above, and about two months later, you will be scheduled for the validation test on Thai Air Law. This 20-multiple-choice-question test is given in Bangkok on a computer, makes almost no logical sense whatsoever, and is pretty easy if you cram from a good study guide (PM me for details). The material has next to nothing to do with actually flying in Thailand. Example: What year was the Thai Air Navigation Act passed?
4) Bring the test results form back to your sponsor, and submit through them an application for validation, with more copies of all of the above paperwork. Wait another month for your existing certificate to be verified with its governing civil aviation authority.
5) Receive a license to fly in Thailand... sort of. Your license is good ONLY for the specific aircraft operated by your sponsor. Could be every tail number in an airline fleet, or just the one or two planes at your company/club. Your license will have only enough privileges to cover the aircraft and operations you'll be flying - if it's a single-engine, your license won't include multiengine. Not an IFR-certificated aircraft? No instrument rating. Flying at a club? Your ATP is now a private pilot license. (If you've bought your own aircraft in Thailand, your license will be good only for that specific tail number. Rich enough to buy a second plane? Great - you'll need to apply for an additional license, specific to that aircraft.)
6) Fly.
This is why there aren't many foreigners flying in Thailand... But it can be done, with enough persistence and patience.
Good luck, and let me know if you need some help navigating this insane system.
Thanks for your posts. Myself and my mate are very keen to start flying in Thailand and would be very appreciative of any assistance you might be able to give.
My email is [email protected].
Thanks in advance for your response.
Regards,
Michael.
Flying a GA aircraft in Thailand with a licence is hard to impossible. Check out Mike Peare who is the expert there. A UK flying instructor from Vancouver who has more experience than anyone on Thai GA.
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Hello Flyerr,
I am finishing my CFI and am looking at relocating to Thailand/Philippines within the next year. Can you tell me how the CFI job market is in Thailand? I would also be interested in hearing about any other details that may be easily overlooked when operating in another country.
I am finishing my CFI and am looking at relocating to Thailand/Philippines within the next year. Can you tell me how the CFI job market is in Thailand? I would also be interested in hearing about any other details that may be easily overlooked when operating in another country.
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Hi Flyerr
All,
Since I've now managed to get through this process, I thought I'd share a little about the experience and how it works. This is how it worked for me at a flying club, but it's much the same for the airlines/corporate gigs.
Information dated May 2016.
1) Find a sponsor for your flying (airline, club, company, etc).
2) Apply through them for validation on your ICAO license. They will sponsor you to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT, formerly DCAA) for the written test. You must submit the requisite paperwork - copies of certificate, medical, passport, etc, plus a fee somewhere around 2,000 THB (60 USD) to CAAT.
3) They will process all the above, and about two months later, you will be scheduled for the validation test on Thai Air Law. This 20-multiple-choice-question test is given in Bangkok on a computer, makes almost no logical sense whatsoever, and is pretty easy if you cram from a good study guide (PM me for details). The material has next to nothing to do with actually flying in Thailand. Example: What year was the Thai Air Navigation Act passed?
4) Bring the test results form back to your sponsor, and submit through them an application for validation, with more copies of all of the above paperwork. Wait another month for your existing certificate to be verified with its governing civil aviation authority.
5) Receive a license to fly in Thailand... sort of. Your license is good ONLY for the specific aircraft operated by your sponsor. Could be every tail number in an airline fleet, or just the one or two planes at your company/club. Your license will have only enough privileges to cover the aircraft and operations you'll be flying - if it's a single-engine, your license won't include multiengine. Not an IFR-certificated aircraft? No instrument rating. Flying at a club? Your ATP is now a private pilot license. (If you've bought your own aircraft in Thailand, your license will be good only for that specific tail number. Rich enough to buy a second plane? Great - you'll need to apply for an additional license, specific to that aircraft.)
6) Fly.
This is why there aren't many foreigners flying in Thailand... But it can be done, with enough persistence and patience.
Good luck, and let me know if you need some help navigating this insane system.
Since I've now managed to get through this process, I thought I'd share a little about the experience and how it works. This is how it worked for me at a flying club, but it's much the same for the airlines/corporate gigs.
Information dated May 2016.
1) Find a sponsor for your flying (airline, club, company, etc).
2) Apply through them for validation on your ICAO license. They will sponsor you to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT, formerly DCAA) for the written test. You must submit the requisite paperwork - copies of certificate, medical, passport, etc, plus a fee somewhere around 2,000 THB (60 USD) to CAAT.
3) They will process all the above, and about two months later, you will be scheduled for the validation test on Thai Air Law. This 20-multiple-choice-question test is given in Bangkok on a computer, makes almost no logical sense whatsoever, and is pretty easy if you cram from a good study guide (PM me for details). The material has next to nothing to do with actually flying in Thailand. Example: What year was the Thai Air Navigation Act passed?
4) Bring the test results form back to your sponsor, and submit through them an application for validation, with more copies of all of the above paperwork. Wait another month for your existing certificate to be verified with its governing civil aviation authority.
5) Receive a license to fly in Thailand... sort of. Your license is good ONLY for the specific aircraft operated by your sponsor. Could be every tail number in an airline fleet, or just the one or two planes at your company/club. Your license will have only enough privileges to cover the aircraft and operations you'll be flying - if it's a single-engine, your license won't include multiengine. Not an IFR-certificated aircraft? No instrument rating. Flying at a club? Your ATP is now a private pilot license. (If you've bought your own aircraft in Thailand, your license will be good only for that specific tail number. Rich enough to buy a second plane? Great - you'll need to apply for an additional license, specific to that aircraft.)
6) Fly.
This is why there aren't many foreigners flying in Thailand... But it can be done, with enough persistence and patience.
Good luck, and let me know if you need some help navigating this insane system.
My name is Drew Harrison and I am looking to get sponsorship through a airline or club for this license valiadation process. I heard it is easier this way as you only need to do the 20 question air law exam then doing the whole conversion with four exams and a flight test if you opt to do it on your own. I am thinking about doing it this year, 2019. Would you happen to know if it is still the same process now with just the one air law exam?
Would greatly appreciate it if you could send any relevant information to my email address, [email protected]
Thanks,
Drew Harrison
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My name is Drew Harrison and I am looking to get sponsorship through a airline or club for this license valiadation process. I heard it is easier this way as you only need to do the 20 question air law exam then doing the whole conversion with four exams and a flight test if you opt to do it on your own. I am thinking about doing it this year, 2019. Would you happen to know if it is still the same process now with just the one air law exam?
Would greatly appreciate it if you could send any relevant information to my email address, [email protected]
Thanks,
Drew Harrison
Would greatly appreciate it if you could send any relevant information to my email address, [email protected]
Thanks,
Drew Harrison
Regarding the CAAT validation test, you should be aware that it has 2 sections (Air Law and HR) of 20 questions and you need to obtain 14 for each in order to pass. Everyone passes the 20 Air Law questions the first time, it is not difficult at all. The 20 Human Factors questions are more tricky due to the wording (not great english). However, as it is multiple choice answers you can normally narrow down the 4 options to 2 and then it is not too difficult. Around 30% of pilots fail the HR side of the test the first time usually with a score of 12 or 13, but you can sit it again the next month.
Also, note that since the CAAT moved to their new HQ at Laksi the test is no longer conduct on computer with instant results. It is a paper test and results are usually issued after 1 week.
