The government plans to formulate a new investment model for the satellite industry to replace the licensing regime.
Four options are being considered: a wholly owned state enterprise; a public-private joint venture with the state owning a majority stake; flexible forms of public-private joint ventures; and the existing licensing model but with higher operating costs.
Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong, chairman of the national space policy committee of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry, said the government is considering what will be the most appropriate investment strategy.
"A resolution is expected to be settled by early 2017," he said.
The new structure will inevitably affect Thaicom Plc, the country's sole satellite service provider, as it decides its new satellite investment.
ACM Prajin said the government will meet Thaicom for further discussions on the issue.
Thaicom now pays only a licence fee of 5.75% of revenue to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), compared with a payment of 20.5% under the concession system.
Thaicom operates three satellites under a concession regime: Thaicom 4 or iPSTAR, a broadband satellite; Thaicom 5 and Thaicom 6, both of which are broadcasting satellites.
Its concession with the ICT Ministry is due to expire in 2021.
But the satellite business is governed by the NBTC under the licensing regime in accordance with the Telecom Business Act. The company has two satellites, Thaicom 7 and Thaicom 8, under a licensing system.
ACM Prajin said the gap between the concession and licensing systems is too large.
"We've been urged by the National Legislative Assembly to revamp the satellite business structure to ensure greater benefit to the country," he said.
ACM Prajin said the government is also considering to force Thaicom to allocate some transponders of its Thaicom 7 and 8 satellites to the state to provide communications services for the public.
The ICT Ministry earlier floated an idea to impose a new processing fee on the satellite operator to reserve an orbital slot before launching a satellite.
Thaicom currently pays only an undisclosed fee to the International Telecommunication Union for filling an orbital slot.
The ministry wants to force Thaicom to pay the state a higher operating fee for the Thaicom 7 and Thaicom 8 satellites to offset the sharp reduction of revenue after ending the licensing system.
Philip Tan, president and group chief executive of InTouch Holdings, the parent firm of Thaicom, recently said the firm was ready to enter win-win talks with authorities but a solution must be acceptable to both Thaicom and the country.