Advanced Television

Thaicom reports booming revenues

February 16, 2012

By Chris Forrester

Thailand satellite operator Thaicom reported an impressive 24 per cent increase in revenues February 15th from its satellite division (year to Dec 31st), helped by adding a number of new TV broadcasters to its portfolio of clients.

Thaicom is now carrying 420 TV channels, up from 358 a year earlier. As to hard financials, Thaicom reported total revenue from its satellite and related businesses (including its IPStar broadband division) of 5.7 billion Thai baht, or about $179 million. That is a 24 per cent increase over 2010 in Thai baht, and in US dollar terms a jump of 40 per cent. During 2011, the US dollar dropped about 5 per cent in value, relative to the Thai baht.

Some 43 per cent of the company’s satellite revenue came from the Thaicom 2 and Thaicom 5 satellites, with the balance coming from its IPStar subsidiary which provides broadband-by-satellite services in more than a dozen Pacific Ocean regions including Japan, India, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand itself.

Last December, no doubt influenced by these growth numbers, Thaicom made an investment of $171 million in 50 per cent of the upcoming AsiaSat 6 craft due for launch in 2014. It also has its own Thaicom 7 on order and due for launch in 2014.

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