The Thaicom-4 satellite was placed high over Indonesia half an hour after blasting off atop the rocket from the European Space Agency's base at Kourou in French Guiana, the Paris-based launch company said.

Originally scheduled for July 12, the flight had been postponed for technical reasons by Arianespace.

Built by Space Systems/Loral in California, the 320-million-euro (400-million-dollar) satellite is designed to provide Internet access and multimedia services for Asia, Australia and New Zealand for a period of at least 12 years.

It was the fourth Thaicom satellite launched by Arianespace for the private Thai company Shin Satellite Plc, formerly Shinawatra Satellite, which is owned by the family of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Ariane 5 ECA rocket which carried it aloft is capable of lifting into space a payload of almost 10 tonnes.

Arianespace said the Thaicom satellite was "the heaviest commercial satellite ever delivered to geosynchronous orbit."

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