Bangkok Airways first began air transportation services in 1968—established as "Sahakol Air", it became the first private aviation company in Thailand. Initially, the airline provided charter services by means of its first operational aircraft, "Trade Wind", a two-engine 9-seater plane. Regular charter assignments came from the OICC (an American construction company), USOM, and a number of other organizations, which at the time, were engaging in oil and natural gas exploration in the Gulf of Thailand.