Educational Information Only
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Civil Aviation Act Section 31 — Nationality and shareholding of the aircraft registrant
Act on Civil Aviation of Thailand (พระราชบัญญัติการเดินอากาศ) — Section 31.
Plain-English Summary
Under Section 30 an aircraft may be registered by its owner, or by a possessor who is not the owner with the Director's permission. Section 31 then requires the registrant, whether an individual or a juristic person, to have Thai nationality. A general partnership needs all partners to be Thai; a limited partnership needs all unlimited-liability partners to be Thai and at least 51 per cent of its capital held by Thai individuals; a limited or public company must have no bearer shares, a majority of Thai directors, and at least 51 per cent of its shares held by Thai individuals, government bodies, or companies that they in turn hold at 51 per cent or more (or other juristic persons named by ministerial regulation). Partnerships and companies must be registered under Thai law with their head office in the Kingdom; associations must be registered under Thai law, be based in the Kingdom and have their rules approved by the Director.
Official Text
Official Thai text at the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State. Translation summary only.
Consult official sourceParent Statute
Act on Civil Aviation of Thailand
พระราชบัญญัติการเดินอากาศ · B.E. 2497 (1954)
The Act on Civil Aviation of Thailand (Air Navigation Act) B.E. 2497 (1954), as substantially amended, regulates Thai civil aviation: aircraft registration and nationality, airworthiness, personnel licensing, air operator certification, civil aviation business licensing, aerodromes and accident investigation. It is administered through the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, which is established by separate legislation; a 2015 Emergency Decree amending this Act restructured civil aviation administration following International Civil Aviation Organization recommendations and dissolved the former Department of Civil Aviation. The Act gives the Authority's Director most day-to-day licensing and safety powers, with a Civil Aviation Board overseeing the Authority and the economic regulation of airlines. Pilotless aircraft need ministerial permission (Section 24); the Act itself contains no separate drone code.
The summary above is a plain-English educational paraphrase of Section 31 of the Act on Civil Aviation of Thailand. It is not an authoritative translation. For the binding Thai text, consult the Royal Gazette or the Office of the Council of State. Educational use only — not a substitute for advice from a Thai-qualified lawyer.
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