Today, skydiving is one of Thailand’s most exciting adventure activities.
Visitors can arrive in Thailand, travel to the Sriracha area, climb into an aircraft and, just a short time later, find themselves falling through the sky at around 120 miles per hour with spectacular views of the Thai coastline below.
But modern civilian skydiving in Thailand did not happen overnight.
Behind the sport is a story of persistence, aviation, regulation and a determination to make skydiving accessible to ordinary people visiting Thailand.
And at the heart of that story is Thai Sky Adventures.
Skydiving Has Deeper Roots in Thailand
The history of parachuting in Thailand goes back much further than modern tandem skydiving.
There are historical accounts describing parachute-like devices being used in the Ayutthaya period. A 17th-century account by French diplomat Simon de La Loubère described a man entertaining the court of King Narai by jumping from a high place using two large umbrellas.
Parachuting was also used in military and demonstration contexts in Thailand long before recreational tandem skydiving became available to tourists.
There are historical accounts of Thai and American parachutists performing demonstration jumps around Thailand during the 20th century. One documented example comes from the early 1960s, when parachute demonstrations formed part of fundraising events organised by the Mitraparb Foundation.
But jumping from an aircraft for fun, as a commercial activity available to tourists and first-time skydivers, was something very different.
That required aircraft, instructors, equipment, aviation permissions, suitable land, operating procedures and regulatory approval.
And that is where the story of Thai Sky Adventures begins.
Ten Years of Working to Bring Skydiving to Thailand
More than 14 years ago, Jack Sparrow set out to establish a professional civilian skydiving operation in Thailand.
It wasn’t simply a matter of buying an aircraft, finding a field and inviting people to jump.
Before the first commercial tandem could take place, there were years of work involved in navigating the permissions and requirements necessary to establish a legitimate skydiving operation.
According to the Thai Sky Adventures story, Jack spent approximately 10 years working towards obtaining the necessary permissions to make the operation possible.
For someone who already knew and loved skydiving, the idea was simple:
Bring the experience of freefall to Thailand and make it available to people who had never experienced it before.
Making that idea a reality was considerably more complicated.
Building a Skydiving Operation From the Ground Up
A professional drop zone needs far more than parachutes.
There needs to be an appropriate aircraft and pilot, qualified instructors, trained ground staff, parachute equipment, packing facilities, landing areas and operating procedures.
There are also aviation considerations.
An aircraft carrying skydivers must operate within the country’s aviation system, and parachuting activities need to be coordinated with the relevant authorities and airspace requirements.
Thai Sky Adventures eventually established its operation in the Sriracha area of Chon Buri.
The location offered something particularly special for skydiving: spectacular views of Thailand from the air, including the coastline and the Gulf of Thailand.
Today, the drop zone is located near Nong Khor Reservoir, approximately 42 kilometres north of Pattaya and around 96 kilometres south of Suvarnabhumi Airport.
November 2009: Thai Sky Adventures Opens
The dream became reality in November 2009.
Contemporary reporting from the Pattaya Mail documented Thai Sky Adventures operating from the Sriracha area, with the company managed at the time by American Wayne Edmisten and Englishman Harry Hongjindapong. The report described tandem skydiving from 13,000 feet and a sales office in Pattaya.
This is an important milestone in Thailand’s recreational skydiving history.
Instead of skydiving being something associated primarily with military parachuting or experienced jumpers travelling overseas, people visiting Pattaya could now experience a tandem skydive in Thailand.
A complete beginner could arrive, receive a briefing from a professional instructor, board an aircraft and experience freefall without needing previous skydiving experience.
That was a major change.
Bringing International Skydiving Standards to Thailand
From the beginning, Thai Sky Adventures was built around international skydiving experience.
The operation has been described as a UK, US and Thai-run operation, with experienced international instructors and pilots. Contemporary descriptions also record the operation as having been open since November 2009.
Today, Thai Sky Adventures describes itself as a USPA-affiliated drop zone and says its operation follows the safety regulations contained in the USPA Skydiver’s Information Manual.
The operation also accepts licences and qualifications from FAI contracting countries for visiting experienced skydivers.
This international approach helped create a place where both first-time tandem passengers and experienced skydivers could participate in the sport.
From a Small Operation to a Skydiving Destination
The early days of Thai Sky Adventures were very different from what visitors see today.
The business had to establish itself, introduce skydiving to the tourism market and build awareness among both local customers and international visitors.
Over time, tandem skydiving became increasingly popular with tourists visiting Pattaya and Bangkok.
For many visitors, the appeal was obvious.
Thailand already offered beaches, islands, diving, nightlife, temples and adventure activities.
Now visitors could add something completely different to their holiday:
Jumping out of an aircraft from 13,000 feet.
Today, Thai Sky Adventures offers tandem skydives from up to 13,000 feet, with approximately one minute of freefall before the parachute is deployed.
Why Sriracha?
The location is an important part of the Thai Sky Adventures story.
Sriracha sits between Bangkok and Pattaya, making the drop zone accessible to visitors staying in both major tourist areas.
But accessibility isn’t the only reason the location works so well.
From altitude, the surrounding landscape provides an incredible combination of countryside, coastline, reservoirs and the Gulf of Thailand.
The view changes dramatically as you climb.
At ground level, you see Thailand as a collection of roads, buildings and fields.
At 13,000 feet, the landscape becomes a huge aerial panorama.
And then the aircraft door opens.
Skydiving Became Part of Thailand’s Adventure Tourism
One of the biggest changes over the years has been the way people think about skydiving.
For experienced skydivers, it is a sport.
For a first-time tandem passenger, it can be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
People come from all over the world to Thailand for beaches, food, culture and sunshine.
Many now add a skydive to their trip.
The tandem concept makes this possible because the passenger does not need years of training before experiencing freefall.
The tandem instructor takes responsibility for the technical aspects of the jump while the passenger can concentrate on enjoying the experience.
More Than 14 Years of Jumps
Since opening, Thai Sky Adventures has introduced thousands of people to the sport.
The operation now offers tandem skydiving as well as training and facilities for experienced skydivers. Its current operation includes AFF training and A Licence progression alongside tandem skydiving.
What started with the vision of establishing civilian skydiving in Thailand has grown into an established skydiving operation serving both tourists and experienced jumpers.
And the original idea remains the same:
Give people the opportunity to experience the freedom of human flight.
The Story Behind the Skydive
When a tandem passenger arrives at Thai Sky Adventures today, they might see the aircraft, parachutes and instructors and think the experience looks effortless.
But there is a much bigger story behind it.
There were years of work before the first jump.
There were permissions to obtain, aviation requirements to satisfy, equipment and aircraft to organise, instructors to bring together and an entirely new adventure activity to establish in Thailand.
And according to the Thai Sky Adventures story, Jack Sparrow spent around a decade working towards getting the necessary permissions before the dream could become reality.
That persistence eventually resulted in Thai Sky Adventures opening its doors in 2009.
More than a decade later, people from around the world continue to arrive in Thailand and do something that once seemed almost impossible:
They climb into an aircraft, fly to 13,000 feet and step into the sky.
From Thailand to the World
Skydiving in Thailand has come a long way.
From historical parachute demonstrations and military jumping to modern professional civilian skydiving, the sport has evolved enormously.
Thai Sky Adventures has been part of that modern chapter since 2009.
So the next time you watch a skydiving aircraft climbing above Sriracha, remember that you’re not just watching another tourist activity.
You’re seeing the result of years of work to establish civilian skydiving in Thailand — and a vision that began long before today’s visitors started lining up for their first jump.
**The sky was always there.
Someone just had to make it possible to jump from it.**
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Thai Sky Adventures open?
Thai Sky Adventures opened in November 2009. This was documented by the Pattaya Mail at the time, which reported the operation offering tandem skydiving from 13,000 feet.
Who founded Thai Sky Adventures?
The Thai Sky Adventures story traces the creation of the operation to Jack Sparrow, who worked for approximately 10 years to obtain the permissions needed to establish the operation in Thailand. The contemporary 2009 Pattaya Mail report records American Wayne Edmisten and Englishman Harry Hongjindapong as managing the operation when it opened.
Where is Thai Sky Adventures?
Thai Sky Adventures operates in the Sriracha area of Chon Buri, near Nong Khor Reservoir, approximately 42 km north of Pattaya.
Can beginners skydive in Thailand?
Yes. Tandem skydiving is specifically designed to allow people with no previous skydiving experience to experience freefall while attached to a qualified tandem instructor. Thai Sky Adventures currently offers tandem skydiving from up to 13,000 feet.
How high do you jump?
Thai Sky Adventures currently offers tandem skydives from up to 13,000 feet (approximately 4,000 metres), subject to operational and airspace conditions.
Is skydiving in Thailand available to experienced skydivers?
Yes. Thai Sky Adventures also operates as a drop zone for licensed skydivers and offers training and progression programmes, including AFF and A Licence training.