6 hours ago, Chazar said:

Golly, no surprise there!

A SMART Visa is a financial killer.

Min. monthly salary of Bt200,000 and a contract term of 5-10 years.

For startup companies that's a big commitment.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

strong political will and a “mechanism” are needed to make the fuller ambition come true.

The "mechanism" is reality.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The biggest challenge to the long-term development of the MRO centre, like other projects in the EEC, is the imminent lack of skilled labour

and

6 hours ago, webfact said:

the country also needed to compete with neighbouring Asean countries, notably Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam which have had a stronger focus on the aviation and aeronautical industry.

Add to the fact that Japan who is the largest investor in the EEC estimates that there is a 30,000 skilled Thai labor shortage for the project - likely to be filled initially by foreign workers. Prayut has assured that in two years Thailand will be producing qualified Thai skilled workers for the EEC. Three months now and Prayut can't even get his Cabinet together. 

41 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

If the general negative opinion expressed by so many here, whose experience or knowledge of Thai is  based mainly on popular social venues or services,

No.....I think most people think the Thais have a pitiful reputation for maintenance because what they see every day in Thailand....

 

Examples Pattaya..

Build a Sports stadium and with-in a few years its in to bad of a condition to use...

Build a water treatment plant with-in a few years its in ruins..

Install traffic lights that never work....

Take 10 years to build a beach that gets washed out with every rain...

Spending untold billions over decades to fix a flooding problem that never gets fixed....

 

And the list could go on and on and on....

Aircraft MRO and Thailand really seem like an odd match. A friend runs a large MRO facility in the US, and he indicates that even there getting the skilled A&P people there is a challenge. Thailand might be able to create a supply, but not in less than 20 years. HAECO would eat them for lunch.

 

As for the sentiments of maintenance not being in the Thai vocabulary, I have to admit to thinking the same thing, especially on the “preventative” side. Patching, covering, and hiding problems works pretty well though.

Thais don't do maintenance. Just buy a new plane when it breaks.

????scary, i hope they check the thrust reversers

There is no capable labor force, and there isn’t going to be unless the hire outside people to fix the problem-the education system 

Isn't one of the reasons that they have been unable to find buyers for the A340s (that Thai International have parked up) is because they have not carried out any maintenance on them?

 

About the only accurate or achievable statement in this announcement is that there is lots of capacity at U Tapao...

I guess stranger things have happened but I just can't see Thailand becoming a major hub for airline maintenance. China is more likely with both Boeing and Airbus having manufacturing/assembly plants there. Along with an industrious educated workforce. Also an ever expanding airline industry that will need maintenance themselves. Of course Thailand is central, and they have a facility available at U-tapao. We shall see.

Whilst somewhat different to aviation (in which I was involved for over 40 years ) Thailand does have a sizable Oil and gas industry which has very high standards and is maintained by highly skilled qualified people ...mainly local Thais (many overseas educated and trained )

Similar to aviation, there is No room for errors or shoddy work. Zero tolerance.

My son is a pilot with a low cost carrier in Thailand and is very impressed with the professionalism of the maintenance crew. Of course Thailand has its problems with a lack of qualified engineers, slipshod attitude to safety etc but the negativity expressed in this thread regarding airline maintenance is unfair.

Home of the 737 MAX?   Considering the news that software programming was handed over to junior engineers making $9/hour, why not hand over maintenance to someone making $10 to $15 a day?

10 hours ago, Chazar said:

Brake failure at 30000 feet.......????

I'd think only the last foot ? ????

There is NO POTENTIAL.

 

Multi-national airline companies look for the cheapest labor sources and - yes - some came to Thailand for that but they are regretting that now.

 

Unfortunately an inept Rhai gummint let the baht strengthen and labor is a major export - well - not any more.

 

For more than one good reason the gummint needs to wake up quick and revalue the baht.

Give them a break

11 hours ago, legend49 said:

Is the word " maintenance"  in their vocabulary?

Yes. It means change the battery in the lucky amulet

11 hours ago, 1Gringo said:

if this becomes true, I'll stop flying with those airlines!

Then you should have stopped doing that 35 years ago as THAI have handled their own overhauls since the early 80s. They have top facilities and most if not all have military background.  

They are very good with pots of black paint to speedily paint out the Airlines name when things go wrong; they do that even before trying to rescue the passengers !

12 hours ago, worgeordie said:

They cannot even maintain the brakes on Trucks and Buses,........Airplanes !!!!!!

 

regards Worgeordie

They can always say "brake failure" for any nasty incidences - 101 Thai excuses. 

I'm waiting for a famous Thai university to finally invent planes

 

It should be any day

 

They should be more ambitious.

 

Why not have them maintain spacecraft for NASA and SpaceX? It's the same basic mechanical principles as patching up an old Honda Wave. Maybe they could get the maintenance contract for the US F-35 squadrons too.

 

Edit - I missed this from the actual article, it seems that they ARE aiming to maintain spacecraft ..................

 

20 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand has great potential in the sector, as the Kingdom is already a regional aviation hub and boasts a strong automobile and electronics manufacturing base on which to build an aircraft and spacecraft sector, he said. 

 

 

The irony of keeping an uneducated populace, perhaps does not work when serious jobs are concerned.

 

 

On 7/1/2019 at 8:32 AM, Bob12345 said:

Agree, I dont mind them doing maintenance on my car, but when my plane needs a checkup you bet I go somewhere else. 

I had complete brake failure in my car the day after a comprehensive service.

Let them loose on a mode of Transport where hundreds are in danger at any one time, it beggers belief ! They cant even maintain the Busses to a safe  condition.