Investigate Udom Alarmed By Reports of Poor Oversight of Thai Aviation - 4,300 Signatures

WASHINGTON, May 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bonnie Rind of Investigate Udom, said she is dismayed by reports that Thailand's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) is unable to provide necessary oversight of Thai aviation due to cronyism and corruption.

The Thai budget airlines, such as Orient Thai's One-Two-Go and Phuket Air, tend to hire inexperienced pilots because they will accept salaries and working conditions unacceptable to Western-trained and more experienced pilots.

"Professional pilots are reporting that Thai budget airlines have no safety programs and are getting by on rubber-stamp approvals from the DCA. This compounds the risks already introduced by pilots who may not have the best training or experience," said Rind, the manager of the website Investigate Udom. "Thai oversight simply doesn't come near the standards required by the FAA. People considering travel in Thailand or aboard Thai- based airlines need to be aware of this danger."

The Thai co-pilot was flying Orient Thai's One-Two-Go OG 269 when it missed the runway on landing in Phuket, Thailand, killing 90 people including the two pilots. The captain of the airplane, Arief, an Indonesian with more flight experience, was known to have serious medical issues and difficulty understanding English, the standard language for in-flight communications.

"This information is especially alarming since tourist safety in Thailand depends on government oversight," said Rind.

The DCA is responsible for the investigation. No final report has been published. DCA Director-General Wuthichai Singhamanee has declared the crash "unavoidable" and has assured the public "No punishment will be imposed on any agency or personnel ... ."

More recently, Director-General Wuthichai Singhamanee issued a gentle reprimand of One-Two-Go Airlines for a near mid-air collision one month after the crash of OG 269.

The families of the victims of Orient Thai's One-Two-Go OG 269 are demanding to know more about the cause of the fiery air crash that killed their loved ones, many of whom were celebrating college graduation or on honeymoon.

Investigate Udom, http://www.InvestigateUdom.com, is a website tracking the progress of the crash investigation, and petitioning for an independent and transparent into the air crash of OG 269 and the chairman of Orient Thai and One-Two-Go Airlines, Udom Tantiprasongchai.