Space

Thailand Satellite Communications

In 1991, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) graciously named the national communication satellite program “Thaicom”. Thaicom stands for “Thai Communications”, as a symbol of the linkage between Thailand and modern communications technology. Almost 30 years later, Thaicom has developed into a leading Asian and global top-10 satellite operator. This satellite business is built on excellence in service quality and innovation. The future business roadmap is committed to innovation and sustainability.

Thaicom’s fleet of five geostationary satellites [as of 2020] provides customers access to two-thirds of the global population. The satellites deliver reliable and secure connectivity for premium data, telecommunications and video services over Asia, Africa and Oceania. This extensive satellite coverage enables broadcasters to expand their business into new digital markets, telecom operators to provide rural areas with cost-effective broadband services, and government administrations to extend their communication reach nationwide.

Thailand inaugurated its first national GEO communications network during 1993-1994 with the launches of Thaicom 1 (18 December 1993) and Thaicom 2 (8 October 1994) by Ariane boosters. The spacecraft, based on Hughes HS-376L series, are operated by the Shinawatra Satellite Company of Bangkok under a lease arrangement with the Thai government. Both Thaicom satellites were stationed at 78.5 degrees E with ten C-band and two Ku-band transponders. The 630-kg spacecraft have a design life of at least 13 years. However, in late 1994 Thailand was nearing selection of a foreign vendor to provide a Thaicom 3 satellite with up to 24 C-band and 14 Ku-band transponders for launch as early as 1996 (References 399-403). On 16 April 1997 Thaicom 3 was launched and is co-located with Thaicom 1 and 2. Together they establish the company’s prime video channel neighborhood at 78.5° east.

In 2000 the Company embarked on the pioneering IPSTAR project. IPSTAR is a new generation of Internet Protocol (IP) satellite that supports telecommunications via Internet Protocol (IP). The High Throughput Satellite (HTS) was to provide broadband connectivity in rural areas of Asia-Pacific without access to terrestrial infrastructure. With IPSTAR (Thaicom 4), on 11 August 2005 the company successfully launched the world’s first high throughput satellite (HTS). In the years to come IPSTAR will connect hundreds of thousands of users in underserved and unserved areas across Asia Pacific to broadband Internet.

Thaicom 5 was launched 27 May 2006, positioned at 78.5° east longitude position for operational service. Its regional beams with high-powered Ku-band and C-band payloads provide broadcast and media services over Southeast Asia. Global beam coverage on Thaicom 5 spans over four continents and can service users in South Asia, Europe, Australia and Africa. The same year, Thaicom 5 replaced the Thaicom 3 satellite.

On 17 December 2019, Thaicom 5 experienced a technical issue causing technical limitations to monitoring the status of the satellite. The Company performed several unsuccessful attempts to recover the satellite’s technical incident ever since the anomaly occurred, resulting in the satellite manufacturer’s opinion to deorbit the Thaicom 5 satellite.

Thaicom Public Company Limited announced 27 February 2020 the successful migration of its customers from the Thaicom 5 satellite to Thaicom 6 and other satellites. The Company has put in its best effort to resolving the technical anomaly in order to ensure the continuity of services to its customers. The migration and service restoration were completed on 20 February 2020. Meanwhile, the Company completed the deorbiting of Thaicom 5 on 26 February 2020 at 4.52 p.m. (Local Time). Thaicom 5 provided reliable satellite communication services for 14 years since its launch in May 2006. The Company thanked the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) for their prudent decision to support and approve of the relevant process.

Thaicom successfully launched Thaicom 6 on 06 January 2014. From its orbital position at 78.5° east, the satellite’s high-powered C-band and Ku-band payloads provide broadcast and data services over Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The satellite's African payload is marketed under Africom-1. Thaicom 7 was launched on 07 September 2014. From its orbital slot at 120° east, the satellite provides a full range of media and data services tailored to the communication needs of the entertainment industry and telecom operators in Asia.

Thaicom 8 successfully launched 28 May 2016 into orbit on a Falcon 9 rocket by SpaceX from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA. The satellite is to enlarge the company’s footprint over high growth Asia markets where it will strengthen Thaicom’s video channel neighborhood at the 78.5° east longitude position. Thaicom 8 is located at the prime orbital position of 78.5° East and is co-located with Thaicom 5 and Thaicom 6. Thaicom 8’s mission is to enlarge our footprint over high growth South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa markets. Carrying a 24 Ku-band transponder payload, Thaicom 8 offers a full range of data, media and telecom services tailored to the communication needs of the entertainment and media industries.

In February 2018 Thaicom established Nava® — a maritime broadband service platform designed for ship and offshore operators in Asia to connect everyone and everything at sea. With the launch of Nava, Thaicom is expanding its broadband service platform to support the maritime industry’s digital transformation. Nava helps the maritime industry to meet the increasing data demand at sea, enables efficient vessel operations, and connects crew and passengers to high-speed internet anywhere and anytime.