The aviation regulator is pressuring the Council of State to wrap up scrutiny of a new civil aviation bill in June to pave the way for the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to lift its red flag on Thai aviation over safety concerns.
The council is now considering the bill after the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) informed it last week that the legislation is a precondition to the ICAO finding a raft of new safety measures acceptable, according to CAAT director Chula Sukmanop.
After the deliberation work is done, the CAAT will ask the ICAO to audit the country's aviation standards, he said.
As the government regards this matter as urgent, a special committee has been formed to fast-track the Council of State's vetting process by June.
The bill will then be tabled at a cabinet meeting and put forward to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) by July, Mr Chula said.
He said the council has suggested the ICAO's proposals should be included in the bill, which means many of its 300 sections may need to be revised or deleted.
If the NLA has still not passed the bill by June 30, Mr Chula said the UN-based ICAO may still agree to carry out the audit. He said there should be no problem pressing ahead with the process once the bill has passed a first reading.
The international body has raised safety concerns about 33 points in the bill and is waiting to see how Thai authorities can better respond to these, he said.
It has also made suggestions regarding how air operators' certificates (AOCs) are re-issued and wants to see these worries addressed, he added.
While the duty of rolling out the legislation is the work of the NLA, the ICAO sees one of its chief roles as ensuring the government has the right approach to dealing with problems raised, officials said.
"The reason why Thailand has this red flag right now is because we do not have the proper laws in place," Mr Chula said, adding the bill "would have implications for getting that [flag] removed".
The CAAT will also present the bill to the ICAO for consideration, he said. The matter has caused some delays in the reissuing of AOCs to some airlines, he said.
Thai Airways, the national flag carrier, is now adjusting its aviation manuals and may get its licence reissued early next month instead of later this month as planned, Mr Chula said.
Other airlines that will be entitled to AOC re-certification next month include NokScoot and Thai AirAsia X, he said.
Four other airlines -- Asia Atlantic, Jet Asia, Advance Aviation and Kan Air -- have requested inspections from the CAAT, he said. These should begin from July.