The Digital Economy and Society Ministry has hired Time Consulting to study a planned framework for the low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite ecosystem in the country.
The government wants to create a proper regulatory landscape to capitalise on the space economy, especially the LEO satellite ecosystem that forms the core of the global satellite business, said Wetang Phuangsup, secretary-general of the National Digital Economy and Society Commission.
The study is expected to be finished in September and should cover potential policies to deal with LEO satellites and the space economy, guidelines to balance business development and national security, and an appropriate regulatory system in terms of government fees and licensing, he said.
The study will also cover international guidelines, such as agreements regarding related data collection in the country, if other LEO satellites orbit over Thailand.
Mr Wetang said LEO satellites may cooperate with Thai companies to collect data when passing over other countries.
If some data is collected by foreign satellite systems in a way that is not consistent with Thai law, or if there is illegal satellite data transmission into Thailand, they need to consider what kind of operational framework should be used on a fair basis.
The study involves working with several agencies, especially the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), with which the ministry has worked closely for a proper resolution, he said.
Mr Wetang said the space economy has dramatically changed, especially the cost of launching a rocket into space has become much cheaper than the past.
The rocket used for launching the LEO satellite is not wasted, unlike that in the conventional satellite system, but can return to the base for relaunch.
Thailand is at an early stage of space tech development after the country's transition from a 30-year satellite concession regime in 2021 (when Thaicom's concession expired) to the current licensing system.
According to a report by the Geo-Informatics and Space Tech Development Agency, the market value of the space economy is expected to reach 300 billion baht by 2032.
Two local companies have foreign LEO satellite business partnerships.
Thaicom and Globalstar have a partnership focusing on personnel safety and management solutions in Thailand and the region, serving several industries such as tourism and maritime.
The service is offered through the Thaicom-Globalstar satellite gateway located at Thaicom's satellite station in Pathum Thani province.
The second partnership is between state telecom enterprise National Telecom (NT) and Eutelsat OneWeb for providing a LEO satellite broadband internet service in the international market, except Thailand.
Earlier the NBTC said the partnership between NT and Eutelsat OneWeb to provide a broadband internet service in Thailand via LEO satellites may have to further wait for clear guidelines.