Siam Seaplane (Bangkok Don Mueang) has secured its air operator certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), paving the way for it to start commercial flights. The certificate, AOC.0032, is valid through October 1, 2026.
"With our AOC certification in hand today (October 2), we are now ready to operate," said CEO Worakanaya Siripidej. "I want to assure everyone that our standards will always exceed expectations."
Despite its name, Siam Seaplane will not launch with amphibious aircraft. Instead, it will begin with land-based operations relying on a single Cessna (single turboprop) 208EX registered as HS-SSP (msn 5076). "We realised that the process and approvals for the water take-offs and landings will take time to secure," Seaplane Asia CEO Dennis Keller told ch-aviation earlier this year. Seaplane Asia is Siam Seaplane's parent entity. "We knew this from the start, but it is taking longer than initially planned. We decided, in the interim, to start with land-to-land operations."
In June, ch-aviation reported that Seaplane Asia had secured an undisclosed amount of funding through TK & Partners and A2D Ventures. The company said it would use the funding to further develop its footprint in Thailand and across Southeast Asia. ch-aviation is aware that Seaplane Asia intends to acquire two more 208EXs for Siam Seaplane.
Thailand last saw amphibious aircraft operations about 15 years ago. Keller says the Thai government and civil aviation authorities have supported Siam Seaplane's launch. However, it is taking time to lock in the approvals and certifications, especially around the water take-off and landings. But he told ch-aviation that they'll get the necessary approvals. At that point, they will start inducting amphibious C208EXs under the Siam Seaplane brand.
