The Thailand Space Expo 2025 kicked off here on Thursday, bringing together space agencies, enterprises and experts from around the world to showcase the latest achievements in space and geoinformation technologies. One of the highlights of this year's event is the cooperation between China and Thailand in the space sector.
In his opening remarks, Pakorn Apaphant, executive director of Geo-informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), emphasized that the expo has become an important platform to promote international space cooperation, focusing on introducing advanced technologies and experiences from world-leading space nations, and promoting growth of the space industry in the aspects of economy, policy, and innovation.
A workshop on"Bridging Horizons of Satellite Remote Sensing Applications: China Southeast Asia Collaboration" was held at ICONSIAM in Bangkok on Friday. Li Deren, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, delivered a keynote speech on the topic of"Aero Spatio-temporal Intelligence for Sustainable Development Goals." He shared China's latest progress in communication satellites, optical and radar remote sensing satellites, and the application of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System.
In an interview with Xinhua, Li said China's fast-growing commercial space industry has made major contributions in urban management, land monitoring and disaster warning, helping Thailand and neighboring countries enhance disaster prevention and mitigation capacity.
Phee Choosri, deputy executive director of GISTDA, told Xinhua that China and Thailand have cooperated in the space field for many years and will further deepen collaboration in intelligent remote sensing, satellite engineering and talent cultivation to advance regional space development.
GalaxySpace, a Chinese commercial space firm, is a regular participant in the Thailand Space Expo. Huang Heping, general manager of international business development at the company, said that more Thai clients are seeking closer cooperation with Chinese space enterprises, especially in satellite communication services and satellite internet.
Earlier this year, GalaxySpace signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with True Corporation, a major Thai telecommunications operator, to advance satellite network projects. It tested a broadband communication network in Thailand based on a low-Earth-orbit satellite internet constellation named"Little Spider Web" in mid-2024.
Chang Zhengyong, CEO of JT Space, a Chinese commercial aerospace company that participated in the expo for the first time, said Thailand serves as a key starting point for the company's expansion into Southeast Asian. He hoped the expo would foster stronger regional partnerships and enable Chinese commercial satellites to better serve local development needs.
Organized by GISTDA, the three-day Thailand Space Expo is one of Southeast Asia's influential space technology events, featuring over 100 exhibitors from around the world.