FLYING IN THAILAND

Pre-Flight

●Royal Flights and other navigation warnings and NOTAMs from flight briefing office at Bangkok or Chiangmai International Airports.
●For airfield information and rules of the air refer to Thai AIP
●Thai Information Service available en-route from Thai military 120.6 (North) (callsign Fantasia) can supply information on a wide range of subjects in flight.
●All flights require a Flight Plan. From non-ATC airfields this can be done by telephone to the nearest control centre – normally 1 hours notice required.
●Customs & Excise. Flights from Thailand to foreign destinations must clear customs at designated airfields.
●PPR.  Many Thai airfields are Prior Permission Required and should be telephoned prior to take-off to ensure availability on arrival. It is advisable at some large airfields (Eg Bangkok International) that a handling agent be arranged in advance.
●Restricted/Prohibited areas include all Royal Palaces, designated military areas and some border control areas.

VMC Minima      [back].[top] 

SPECIAL VFR (SVFR)

●Only available in CONTROL ZONES.
●Clearance must be obtained and followed
●The pilot must remain clear of cloud and in sight of the surface and with a minimum flight visibility of 10km (3km with IMC rating). Will not be issued when visibility is less than 1500m or ceiling less than 600'.
●Pilot absolved from remaining 1500' above the highest fixed obstacle within 600m, but must still be able to glide clear following an engine failure. 

Night Flying
Flight at night must be in accordance with IFR (or special VFR if in a control zone). 

Rules of the Air    

Note: Thailand’s Rules of the Air and operating procedures are (with a few exceptions) based upon ICAO FAA regulations. ATC is in English with (usually) very helpful controllers.

LOW-FLYING

●Not closer than 500' to any person, vehicle, vessel or structure, except for T/O and landing
●Over built-up or congested areas: not lower than 1500' above the highest fixed object within 600m (except under SVFR) OR at a height from which a landing can be made without danger to people or property on the surface if an engine fails.  Whichever is higher.
●Not over or closer than 1000m to an assembly of more than 1000 persons in the open air. 

En-Route     [back].[top]
Cruising Levels

For flight outside controlled airspace above 3000' and below FL245 it is recommended that the following quadrantal cruising levels be adopted:

For IFR flight within controlled airspace, semicircular levels will be assigned.

Altimeter Setting
●The usual transition altitude is 10,000' although in some areas, it may differ.
●Regional QNH may be used en-route.  Available from many ATC centres.
●Most light aircraft in Thailand use QNH. QFE is rarely available.  

Transponders     [back].[top]
Conspicuity code (normal VFR operations) is A7000  - It is usual for each flying club aircraft to be allocated a specific transponder setting.

Recency

• SEP (Single engine Piston) Class Rating:  Valid for 2 years.  For revalidation, pilot must have flown 12 hours in the second year, of which 6 must be P1, and 12 take-offs and landings, and complete a minimum 1 hour training flight with an instructor. Alternatively, a proficiency check with an examiner may be flown in the last 3 months of rating validity.  Should the rating lapse, a skills test must be flown with an examiner. If operating on a foreign licence with a Thai endorsement then validation is dependent upon medical expiry date.
• MEP (Multi engine Piston) Class Rating:  Valid for 12 months. For revalidation, pilot must have flown 10 sectors of minimum 15 min cruise, and fly a proficiency check with an examiner.  Should the rating lapse, a skills test must be flown with an examiner.
• Day/Night VFR solo - none.
• Day VFR with passengers -  3 T/O & landings within 90 days.
• Night VFR with passengers - 3 T/O & landings within 90 days, of which one must be at night.  Touch and go landings are acceptable.

For further information on flying in Thailand visit Chiangmai Flying Club Full & part time training for Thai PPL is available at Chiangmai Flying Club and Thai Flying Club. Courses tailored to suit individual student requirements and are ideal for those who wish to complete the Private Pilot's Course in the minimum time. Thai Department of Aviation PPL examinations are held every three months. more

As a licensed pilot with a converted Thai licence you can rent a plane from the club, with or without a safety pilot by your side or join our regular pilot training courses and learn to fly yourself. Flight instruction is available and undertaken by our experienced instructors. CMFC undertakes private pilot's licence training courses, under the authority of the Thai Department of Aviation; this includes both ground school technical and flying training from its airfield at Lamphun and its school premises in Chiangmai. To convert your licence to fly Thai registered aircraft - click here

Forms for Thai Licence validation

Lamphun Airfield, operated by Chiangmai Flying Club is just 12.5nm south on the extended centreline of runway 36 at Chiangmai International Airport. Runway 01/19 is level, well-graded laterite surface and useable even during the wet season. The approach from both directions is straightforward but be aware of high voltage electricity pylons less than 1km south of runway 19 and several aerial masts 1345' amsl to the 2kms NE of airfield. There are houses and trees close to threshold of runway 01 reducing the available landing distance on this runway.

Location identifier: VTCO   Location: Lat18º 32’50”N; Long 99º00’57”E
Communication: Chiangmai approach 129.6 Mhz, Lamphun Tower 122.9 Mhz (w’end only)
R/W 01/19 – dimensions 1100 x 23 metres (3600 x 75’); elevation: 974.5’ amsl;
Circuit pattern to the east of the r/w (ie left pattern r/w 19, right pattern r/w 01)

More information on how to find us

Both clubs are keen to promote general aviation in Thailand and some of our aircraft are available for hire, either with or without a pilot. Trial flights and check rides can be arranged to suit your requirements – we operate 7 days a week – on demand. Pilots requiring self-hire must have current Thai PPL licence and have passed the CMFC check flight

However most of our club activity takes place at the weekend. Advance notice is necessary if you wish to reserve an aircraft. If you already have a foreign licence then we can arrange with the DOA to convert this to Thai, which, subject to a suitable check ride with one of our instructors, will allow you to fly within Thailand. Details click here.

Our airfield at Lamphun is within the Chiangmai TMA but our instructors will brief you on rules and ATC procedures – air traffic controllers are very willing and helpful which makes flying here a pleasure. Our instructors are all highly experienced and have a very high concern for flight safety.

There are very few times in the year when VFR flying is curtailed due to weather - yes we do get big Cb’s, which are usually isolated and can be avoided - we do get days, especially in the hot season (March/April) when visibility is reduced, and there are times when some of the mountain/valley airfields (ie Mai Hong Son) cannot be accessed due to low cloud. Generally, however flying conditions are very good.

Aircraft available for hire: CMFC own three C150/2; five C172 and an Arrow are privately owned by club members, some of these may be available for hire subject to availability, depending on the owner’s requirements and their maintenance schedules. C150/152 3,000 baht/hour C172 5,200 baht/hour Arrow 5,900 baht/hour. Click here for more details.

Updated daily Foreign Exchange Rates

For today's online METAR/TAF weather http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/metar.shtml

Topographical maps of Chiangmai Area

Chiangmai Flying Club - News Pages http://www.cmflyingclub.com/news.html

Geography:

Thailand is situated in the heart of the South-east Asian mainland, covering an area of 513,115 sq.km, from North 5°30" to 21° and from East 97°30" to 105°30". The altitude varies between see level and 2600m (Doi Inthanon in the north of Thailand). The country is divided into four natural regions:

1. The North is a mountainous region comprising natural forests, ridges and deep, narrow, alluvial valleys. The leading city of this region is Chiang Mai.

2. Central Thailand, the basin of the Chao Phraya River, is a lush, fertile valley. It is the richest and most extensive rice producing area in the country and has often been called the "Rice Bowl of Asia". Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is located in this region.

3. The North-eastern region, or the Korat Plateau, is an arid region characterized by a rolling surface and undulating hills. Harsh climatic conditions often result in this region being subjected to floods and droughts.

4. The Southern region is hilly to mountainous, with thick virgin forests and rich deposits of minerals and ores. This region is the centre for the production of rubber and the cultivation of other tropical crops.

Thailand has a moist, tropical climate, influenced chiefly by monsoon winds that vary in direction according to the season. Due to the monsoon there are three well defined seasons:

1. Hot season (March through May) During the hot season the visibility is often very low due to dust particles in the air (3 to 5 km) and temperature can get very high. Prevailing wind from the south-east.

2. Rainy season (June through October) The rainy season is characterized by high temperature and high humidity. Good visibility with clouds building up in the afternoon and possible thunderstorms in the evening. Prevailing wind from the south-west.

3. Cool season (November through February) In the cool season, the north can get " cold " especially in the mountains. The visibility is very good and the weather is stable. Fog can be a problem in the morning especially in mountain valleys. Prevailing wind from the north-east.