Thaicom
Thaicom Public Company Limited is an Asian satellite operator and provider of satellite and telecommunication services since 1991. The company operates a fleet of currently four satellites covering Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Thaicom is a subsidiary of Intouch Holdings Public Company Limited, Thailand's biggest telecommunications conglomerate.
History
The company's satellite project was named Thaicom by the King Bhumibol.
Bangkok, Thailand-based Shinawatra Computer and Communications Co. Ltd. (now INTOUCH HOLDINGS PLC) signed a US$100 million contract with Hughes Space and Communications Company Ltd. in 1991 to build Thailand's first communications satellite. Thaicom 1 was launched on 18 December 1993, carrying 12 C-band transponders and covering an area from Japan to Singapore.
The Company became a listed company on the Stock Exchange of Thailand on 18 January 1994, and is officially traded under the symbol THCOM.
Since its establishment, the Company has expanded its business activities to include Internet and telephone services, as well as Direct to Home (DTH) satellite TV services . As of 31 December 2011, INTOUCH, which is the Company's major shareholder, holds 41.14% of the Company's shares.
Thaicom currently operates four satellites. The company also operates satellite ground facilities, including its satellite control center in Nonthaburi, Thailand, and a teleport and DTH center in Lat Lum Gao, Thailand.
Launch history
| Satellite | Manufacturer | Launch Date (UTC) |
Rocket | Launch Site | Contractor | Longitude | Status | References |
| Thaicom 1 | Hughes Space Aircraft | 18 December 1993 |  Ariane 4 (44L)
|
 Kourou ELA-2
|
Arianespace
|
78.5° East | Decommissioned | |
| Thaicom 2 | Hughes Space Aircraft | 8 October 1994 | Ariane 4 (44L)
|
Kourou ELA-2
|
Arianespace
|
78.5° East | Decommissioned | |
| Thaicom 3 | Aérospatiale, now Thales Alenia Space |
16 April 1997 | Ariane 4 (44LP)
|
Kourou ELA-2
|
Arianespace
|
78.5° East | Decommissioned (Deorbited: 2 October 2006) |
|
| Thaicom 4 (IPSTAR) | Space Systems/Loral, USA | 11 August 2005 | Ariane 5 EGS
|
Kourou ELA-3
|
Arianespace
|
119.5° East | In Service | [1] |
| Thaicom 5 | Alcatel Alenia Space, France | 27 May 2006 | Ariane 5 ECA
|
Kourou ELA-3
|
Arianespace
|
78.5° East | Decommissioned | [2] |
| Thaicom 6 | Orbital Sciences Corporation | 6 January 2014 |  Falcon 9 v1.1
|
Cape Canaveral SLC-40
|
SpaceX
|
78.5° East | In Service | [3] |
| Thaicom 7 (AsiaSat 6) | Space Systems/Loral, USA | 7 September 2014 | Falcon 9 v1.1
|
Cape Canaveral SLC-40
|
SpaceX
|
120° East | In Service | [4] |
| Thaicom 8 | Orbital ATK | 27 May 2016 | Falcon 9 FT
|
Cape Canaveral SLC-40
|
SpaceX
|
78.5° East | In Service |
References
- ^ "Thaicom 4". Satellites. Thaicom Public Company Limited. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ^ "Thaicom 5". Satellites. Thaicom Public Company Limited. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ^ "Thaicom 6". Satellites. Thaicom Public Company Limited. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ^ "Thaicom 7". Satellites. Thaicom Public Company Limited. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
