Amazon Leo Partners with Thaicom to Bring Satellite Broadband to Thailand
April 9, 2026
In a strategic move that underscores the growing geopolitical and regulatory complexities of the global satellite internet race, Amazon’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) venture, Amazon Leo, has secured a crucial foothold in Southeast Asia. The company has authorized Thai satellite operator Thaicom to be its exclusive distributor and landing rights holder in Thailand, effectively bypassing the regulatory barrier that previously stalled its rival, SpaceX’s Starlink.
The partnership was formalized through an agreement between Amazon Leo and Thaicom’s subsidiary, TC 142 Company Limited. Thaicom, with over three decades of satellite industry experience, will integrate Amazon Leo’s nascent LEO network with its own service architecture and its existing fleet of four geostationary satellites serving Southeast Asia and the Middle East. “This collaboration enables us to address the increasingly complex and evolving connectivity needs, particularly in underserved and remote areas,” said Patompob (Nile) Suwansiri, Thaicom’s Chief Executive Officer. While an official service launch date was not provided, local reports indicate connectivity could be available by 2027.
This deal follows the Thai government’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) rejecting Starlink’s application last year. The regulator held firm on local ownership rules, which SpaceX was unwilling to meet, leading to a breakdown in negotiations. Amazon’s approach of partnering with a established local entity like Thaicom provided a compliant pathway to market access.
Amazon Leo’s constellation, which began launches in April 2025, now comprises over 200 satellites following nine launch missions. The company plans a global infrastructure of more than 300 ground stations and aims to manufacture millions of customer terminals—the Leo Nano, Pro, and Ultra models—offering speeds from 100Mbps to 1Gbps. This expansion into Thailand represents a significant step in its challenge to Starlink, which currently dominates the sector with over 10,000 operational satellites, accounting for more than 65% of all active satellites.
The implications extend beyond Thailand, highlighting a key strategic divergence in global market entry. Starlink’s insistence on operating under its own preferred regulatory framework has also caused setbacks in markets like South Africa, which mandates significant local equity ownership. Amazon’s willingness to adapt its model through local partnerships may offer a more replicable blueprint for expansion in regulated markets, potentially accelerating the deployment of multi-orbit connectivity solutions worldwide.
Source: datacenterdynamics
