Thailand – Thailand's Ministry of Transport and the Thai Pilots Association (THAIPA) have held formal discussions on measures to address widespread pilot unemployment and the growing prevalence of "Pay to Fly" schemes, under which aspiring pilots reportedly pay up to 6 million baht (approximately $170,000 USD) for a chance to enter the profession.

Industry figures presented at the June 15 meeting indicate Thailand has 1,736 unemployed Thai pilots and a further 1,219 commercial pilot license (CPL) holders seeking employment. The unused investment in pilot education is estimated at more than 4.3 billion baht (approximately $122 million USD).
Key structural causes identified include an oversupply of pilots relative to market demand, employment of foreign pilots in certain positions, gaps in specialized labor-protection laws, and the emergence of the Pay to Fly model in which airlines open recruitment but require candidates to fund their own training costs.
Under the Pay to Fly model, the average cost is reportedly around 6 million baht per pilot — comprising approximately 3 million baht for CPL training and a further 3 million baht for aircraft type rating. THAIPA argued the model creates significant financial barriers for capable candidates who lack resources, and that resulting debt levels can create stress that may affect pilot focus during flight operations.
THAIPA noted that while average pilot earnings in Thailand — including salary, flight-operation pay, and hourly allowances of 1,000–2,000 baht per hour — generally range from 100,000–200,000 baht per month, some airlines offer compensation below industry norms with hourly flight pay reduced to approximately 500 baht and total monthly income averaging around 70,000 baht. For pilots who have invested 6 million baht to enter the profession, such income levels make cost recovery extremely difficult.
The association also raised concerns that some airlines require co-pilots seeking captain upgrades to fund their own upgrade training costs, estimated at approximately 870,000 baht (approximately $25,000 USD). THAIPA argues that under labor principles, airlines should bear the cost of employee career progression training, and that requiring pilots to pay could result in promotion being determined by financial capacity rather than operational readiness.
THAIPA proposed both short- and long-term solutions including clearer regulation of the Pay to Fly system, stronger employment and welfare standards, enforcement of rules on the use of Thai pilots, a complaint channel, whistleblower protections, and a system to align pilot training output with actual aviation industry demand.

Statements

Deputy Transport Minister Phattrapong Phattraprasit noted that "the ministry places importance on developing aviation personnel while maintaining the highest safety standards" and added that the ministry was ready to consider proposals from all sectors to promote fairness in the pilot profession and reduce inequality in access to aviation careers.

Source: Thai Pilots Association

Southeast Asian Government and Pilot Association Hold Formal Talks in 2026 on Pay to Fly Regulation and Pilot Unemployment

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