Thailand is ramping up its aviation industry to become a hub in Asean, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha declared Wednesday.
The government intended to upgrade Thai civil aviation to be on par with international standards and the push to make the sector a hub for the region would go in sync with that, he said.
The prime minister was speaking while chairing the opening ceremony of the Global Aviation Security Plan, a meeting aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of international aviation security co-hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Bangkok Wednesday.
Gen Prayut also thanked the ICAO for lifting the red flag which was imposed on Thai aviation in June, 2015, over its failure to fix shortcomings in the aviation industry.
He said Thailand addressed all issues relating to aviation safety concerns raised by the ICAO.
In addition, the government was keen to develop and boost the aviation industry, as could be seen from its 20-year Thailand 4.0 policy, which promotes technological advances to improve public services under 10 targeted industries.
During the meeting, ICAO secretary-general Fang Liu also congratulated Thailand on the lifting of the red flag and lauded the government for its efforts to standardise national aviation.
ICAO regional director for Asia and the Pacific office, Arun Mishra, said the prime minister's ambitious goal for a aviation hub is possible.
"Of course, it's already happening, as we can already see that Thailand and [especially] Bangkok attract a lot of tourists [from] everywhere, and they use Bangkok as a hub to travel to other destinations," he said.
Mr Mishra said he advised Gen Prayut that two strategic areas need to be improved if he wants to realise his goal: infrastructure and airport facilities; and manpower where more young professionals in related fields must be recruited. He added security is also a priority issue for the goal to be made a reality.
Meanwhile, Hugh Vanijprabha, managing director of Rolls-Royce (Thailand), told the Bangkok Post that the Thai aviation market is well developed with both full-service and low-cost airlines. He said the country has "a significant geographical advantage and great potential for growth".
However, further cooperation between the public and private sectors along with the development of talent to support the sectors are still needed.
"The ICAO's lifting of the red flag further proves the level of confidence from the airworthiness authorities," he said. "This is one great example of how government support is essential to help promote Thailand to a top-tier aerospace-capable country.
"The government must continue to demonstrate its ambition for industry support jointly with the private sector. Innovation grants, development training, basic science and technology focused education are key to developing fundamental knowledge and a qualified workforce of the highest standard," he said.
Hiroshi Horiguchi, managing director at IHI Asia Pacific (Thailand), said the US and Europe still provide most jet engines and other parts, so the government would have to work with those giants to further develop the country's manufacturing capability.