Thailand to stop allowing foreign pilots on domestic flights from next year

The country’s pilot association has sued the government for letting foreign pilots fly certain local routes under a temporary arrangement

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Travellers at the departure hall of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. Photo: Harvey Kong

Published: 3:32pm, 20 Mar 2025

Thailand’s authorities have pledged not to extend an arrangement that allows foreign pilots to be deployed on domestic flight routes after Thai pilots filed a lawsuit against the government last week.

The country’s pilot association had expressed cautious optimism about the assurance from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) that the temporary measure would end this year, the association’s president Teerawat Angkasakulkiat said, according to Thai media reports on Thursday.

Teerawat added that the authorities had acknowledged the challenges faced by unemployed Thai pilots in finding jobs and vowed to support them with measures including overseas job opportunities.

“We are thrilled about CAAT’s job-enhancing initiatives for Thai pilots, including backing those seeking roles abroad,” he said, according to a report by Thaiger.

Last week, the association filed a lawsuit against the Thai labour ministry, seeking a ban on foreign pilots from working on domestic flight routes. It was challenging the cabinet’s decision in December to allow foreign pilots to fly domestic flights under “wet lease” contracts, under which these pilots were allowed to be assigned to aircraft lessees.

Under Thai law, foreigners are not allowed to operate domestic flights.

Foreign tourists at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok. Thailand has been experiencing a tourism boom. Photo: EPA-EFE