Thailand’s satellite operator Thaicom says that it suffered a 9.2 per cent drop in satellite service revenues, despite a 166 per cent lift in core profit, in the quarter-year to March 31st compared to 2025. The continued fall in DTH broadcast revenues hurt the revenue line.

However, belt-tightening helped deliver a doubling of profits from its satellite business and CEO Patompob Suwansiri had already stated at the company’s AGM in April that Thaicom’s 20-year success in supplying broadband service in India has resulted in Thaicom holding 70 per cent of the Indian market among non-Indian broadband provides.

“The Company expects revenue from the Indian market to grow at an annual rate of approximately 20-30 per cent over the next five years,” Suwansiri stated. “As a result, Thaicom 9 is expected to have a utilisation rate of approximately 20 per cent at the commencement of service.”

However, Thaicom 9 looks like being delayed. A smallish satellite supplied by Astranis (in a joint-venture with Astranis), had originally been expected to launch this year. Now 2027 looks more likely. Thaicom 9 is slated to replace the IpStar/Thaicom 4 craft which has been in orbit since 2005.

Thaicom 10 is now scheduled for launch in 2027 and Eutelsat has leased half of its capacity.

The current picture is that 70 per cent of Thaicom revenue is from Thailand and 30 per cent from overseas. For the quarter-year ending March 31st, the Thaicom 7 and Thaicom 8 satellites had a fill rate of 62 percent, down from 64 per cent at December 31st 2025.

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Tags: thaicom, thailand