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Sop. Celebrates 65th, Eyes Aviation Training Hub by 2027, New Drone-Seaplane Courses

Sop. Celebrates 65th, Eyes Aviation Training Hub by 2027, New Drone-Seaplane Courses

MGR Online•Economy•20d ago

Reader Briefing

The Civil Aviation Training Center (Sop.) is celebrating its 65th anniversary and is set to transform into a World-Class Aviation Training Hub by 2027, introducing new courses in drones and seaplanes to bolster the tourism industry.

  • •The Civil Aviation Training Center (Sop.) is celebrating its 65th anniversary with plans to upgrade its status to a World-Class Aviation Training Hub by 2027.
  • •New courses focusing on drone and seaplane operation will be launched to support new forms of tourism, particularly in southern Thailand.
  • •Sop. has achieved international accreditations, including TCAR PEL-Part 147 and EASA Part-147, underscoring its commitment to global standards.
  • •The Hua Hin Aviation Training Center is progressing at 50% completion and is expected to be fully operational by mid-2027, increasing pilot training capacity.

Overview

  • •On June 4, 2026, Patraphong Phattharaphakorn presided over the 65th anniversary of the Civil Aviation Training Center (Sop.).
  • •Patraphong Phattharaphakorn stated that Sop. is a crucial mechanism for developing aviation personnel and a key component in supporting Thailand's goal to become a regional aviation hub.
  • •Patraphong Phattharaphakorn announced the goal to elevate Sop. from an aviation educational institution to a World-Class Aviation Training Hub, recognized regionally and internationally.
  • •Sop. aims to develop new aviation training programs for drones, seaplanes, eVTOLs, and aviation cybersecurity to meet future industry demands.
  • •By mid-2027, Sop. expects to begin accepting students for its first seaplane pilot course, adapted from Maldives' model.
  • •The Hua Hin Aviation Training Center's construction is 48-50% complete, with both Phase 1 and Phase 2 expected to be finished by July 2027.
  • •Sop. is in the process of procuring 8 new aircraft, with 4 to be acquired in 2026 for approximately 122 million THB and another 4 in 2027 for 125 million THB, to replace older models.
  • •In 2025, Sop. was ranked the 'No. 1 most desired aviation university in the country' by Thailand Education Ranking (TER), reflecting confidence in its educational quality.

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Key Quotes

Patraphong Phattharaphakorn
"Sop. is a crucial mechanism for developing aviation personnel and a key component in supporting the government's goal of pushing Thailand towards becoming a regional aviation hub."
สบพ. เป็นกลไกสำคัญในการพัฒนาบุคลากรด้านการบิน และเป็นหัวใจหลักในการสนับสนุนเป้าหมายของรัฐบาลในการผลักดันประเทศไทยสู่การเป็นศูนย์กลางการบินของภูมิภาค
Patraphong Phattharaphakorn
"Sop. is developing a seaplane pilot course, a new form of aviation supporting tourism, especially in southern coastal areas and connecting travel from major to secondary cities."
สบพ.อยู่ระหว่างจัดทำหลักสูตรนักบินซีเพลน ซึ่งเป็นการบินที่สนับสนุนการท่องเที่ยวในอีกรูปแบบหนึ่งโดยเฉพาะพื้นที่ทะเล ภาคใต้ และการเชื่อมต่อการเดินทางท่องเที่ยวจากเมืองหลักสู่เมืองรอง
Varaporn Temkaew
"It is expected that the first batch of the seaplane course will be accepted by mid-2027."
คาดกลางปี 70 เริ่มรับหลักสูตร”ซีเพลน”รุ่นแรกได้

Key Entities

Organization

Civil Aviation Training Center (Sop.)(สบพ.)
The Civil Aviation Training Center (Sop.) is a Thai government institution celebrating its 65th anniversary and aiming to become a World-Class Aviation Training Hub.
Ministry of Transport(กระทรวงคมนาคม)ℹ️
The Ministry of Transport is the government body overseeing the development of Sop. into a regional aviation hub.
Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT)(สำนักงานการบินพลเรือนแห่งประเทศไทย (กพท.))ℹ️
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is the regulatory body that certified Sop.'s training programs.
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)(องค์การความปลอดภัยด้านการบินแห่งสหภาพยุโรป (EASA))ℹ️
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is an international body that has accredited Sop.'s training standards.
Thailand Education Ranking (TER)
Thailand Education Ranking (TER) is an organization that ranked Sop. as the top aviation university in Thailand.

Person

Patraphong Phattharaphakorn(นายภัทรพงศ์ ภัทรประสิทธิ์)
Patraphong Phattharaphakorn, Deputy Minister of Transport, presided over the 65th anniversary of Sop. and announced plans for its development.
Varaporn Temkaew(น.ส.วราภรณ์ เต็มแก้ว)
Varaporn Temkaew, Acting President of Sop., provided an update on the development of the seaplane pilot course and the timeline for student admissions.

Place

Hua Hin Aviation Training Center(ศูนย์ฝึกการบินหัวหิน)
The Hua Hin Aviation Training Center is a facility under Sop. undergoing expansion to increase pilot training capacity.