Stories tagged with thai
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Thai Airways drops flight to New Zealand
In a move that has shocked New Zealand’s tourism industry, Thai Airways announced a move to terminate its direct flight between Bangkok and Auckland as of October 2008. Thai Airways stated the decision was based on high fuel prices that have made the long-haul route unprofitable.
Damien O’Conner, New Zealand’s Minister of Tourism, issued an official statement condemning the move as a huge blow to tourism between the two countries. ''The flights have been very popular with New Zealanders holidaying in Thailand with more than 37,000 New Zealand citizens using these flights last year, fuelling healthy growth for the tourism sector in Thailand,'' he said.
New Zealand is also concerned that the termination of the flight from Bangkok will reduce the number of international travellers who use Bangkok as a hub for connecting flights. ''Europeans passing through Bangkok on their way to New Zealand have increased by a phenomenal 110% since 2005. There is also a high potential for growth in traffic from India to New Zealand via Bangkok,'' O’Conner stated.
The airline is also stopping its daily direct Bangkok-Los Angeles flight as of October. THAI will continue, however, to operate other existing flights to both Auckland and Los Angeles using a stopover.
Posted by: Andrew on 15 Aug 2008, 12:14 -
Thai Airways Joining the Airbus A380 Revolution
Thai Airways is the latest global carrier to add the new Airbus A380 super jumbo to its fleet of aircraft. Beginning in 2009, Thai Airways will operate the impressive A380 on its Bangkok to London route.
Thailand’s national carrier has signed a contract with Airbus to purchase six A380s in a deal worth around US$1.9 billion. Four of the A380s will begin their life on the popular London-Bangkok route once they are completed. Thai currently runs two flights a day from London’s Heathrow Airport to Bangkok, and will continue the same number of flights once the A380s come into service. The other two A380s will be used on other routes operating out of Bangkok.
The delivery dates for the remaining five A380s are still up in the air, as Airbus is experiencing huge demand for its popular super jumbo jet. Thai Airways will also be adding Airbus A330-300 planes to its fleet that boast more seat width and power outlets for laptops in its economy section.
Posted by: Andrew on 09 Aug 2008, 12:22 -
Direct Flights from Japan to Phuket Resumed
Thai Airways resumed direct flights from Narita, Japan to the Thai resort island of Phuket after a 3-year hiatus. The once-popular route will fly two days a week with the hope that services can be expanded as demand warrants.
A group of 300 Japanese tourists arrived at Phuket International Airport from Narita aboard a Thai Airways Boeing 777. It was the first direct flight from Japan to Phuket since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami put the brakes on tourism in the region. The year before the tsunami, around 206,000 Japanese visited Phuket. But 2007 saw only 115,000 Japanese tourists come to the island.
Tourism Authority of Thailand Southern Region 4 Office Director Suwalai Pinpradub and representatives from tourist businesses in Phuket greeted the arriving tourists with jasmine garlands. Pinpradub said that Japan is one of Phuket’s most important sources for tourists, and the newly reopened flights would give local business a much-needed boost during Phuket’s “green season”.
Thai Airways will begin by operating direct flights from Narita to Phuket on Thursdays and Sundays.
Posted by: Andrew on 24 Jul 2008, 09:23 -
Airlines Cut Flights as Tourist Arrivals Drop
The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has recently reported that several major air line companies, including the national carrier Thai Airways, will be cutting back on the number of flights into Thailand in 2009, following on a projected 12 percent decrease in tourist arrivals.
Association president, Apichart Sankary, has said that the overall number of tourists visiting Thailand in 2009 may fall short of the target of 17 million. In fact, he added, the number may be closer to 15 million than 17.
Due to the rising cost of jet fuel and less-than-expected passenger demand, Thai Airways has already discontinued its New York-Bangkok service. The carrier has also reduced the frequency of other flights and re-routed service, particular in relation to the US.
Political instability that has plagued Thailand for the last couple of years has been blamed for the slowdown in the tourist industry, but Apichart suggests that the country is seeing a shift in the source of its tourists. The TAT has focused its promotional efforts recently in the Middle East, and that region is becoming a more significant source of tourists.
The president of the Koh Samui Tourism Business Association, Seni Phuwasethavorn, is saying that this year’s high season will not see as many visitors to the island as last year’s due to higher travelling costs. Hotel occupancy in Samui is at 60 percent, down from 75 percent during last year’s high season.
Posted by: Andrew on 19 Jul 2008, 00:59 -
THAI resumes Tokyo-Phuket flights
Thai Airways International (THAI) has just announced that it will resume operating direct flights between Tokyo and Phuket.
Flights will resume with the Thai flag carrier from July 17, which was previously suspended in February 2005 due to the lack of passenger numbers visiting the ‘Pearl of the Andaman’ from Japan following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
The flight will retain its same number, TG 671, and will operate directly from Tokyo to Phuket and then onto Bangkok twice per week.
Thai Airways International will operate the two flights on Thursdays and Saturdays, leaving Tokyo at 10:00 (Tokyo time) and arriving in Phuket at 15:25 (local time).
Flights will then depart Phuket at 16:30 and arrive in Bangkok at 17:55.
There will be two classes of service aboard the Boeing 777-200, with 279 seats in economy class and 30 seats in Royal Executive class.
Posted by: Andrew on 13 Jul 2008, 10:36 -
Thai Airways will raise fuel surcharge
With oil selling at record prices, many airlines have recently announced that they must raise fuel surcharges on their flights to combat the unprecedented costs of fuel. Thai Airways is the latest major airline to announce that it will be raising the fuel surcharge on most of its flights. In an announcement by the company, it said the surcharge for international fights would increase by an average of 20% and for domestic flights the number would be about 15%.
Thai Airways president Apinan Sumanaseni said yesterday that with fuel at record highs, the only way for the airlne to remain viable was to charge for the new gap in its operating costs.
As it stands now, Thai’s surcharges on flights less than two hours long is $25, $30 for flights two to three hours long, $35 for four to eight hours, and $95 for long haul flights between 8 and 14 hours.
Other carriers in Thailand can be expected to follow suit at any time.
Posted by: DaveB on 19 Apr 2008, 18:26 -
Protesting taxis jam Bangkok airport
Passengers arriving at Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi airport were greeted with an unwelcoming wait Tuesday as taxis refused to pick anyone up. Sudden changes to the parking and pickup permits prompted about 2,000 taxi drivers to stage a protest at the airport which was eventually dispersed at 3pm.
The protesting drivers gathered at the Public transport Centre after the Airports of Thailand (AOT) suddenly introduced a trial plan that cancelled their permits. They were expected to now park and wait at an off-site facility which is no longer provided free of charge. Getting to and from Bangkok airport
The taxi drivers became furious when the AOT management begun allowing unlicenced taxis in to alleviate the problem, which developed shortly after 8am. AOT has been paying an outsourced company 700,000 baht a month to manage the taxi queuing system, as well as paying 300,000 in upkeep of the parking facility.
At 3pm the standoff finally ended when representatives of AOT agreed that the plan would be suspended and to first consider proposals from the taxi drivers, whom the AOT wants to assume responsibility for managing the queuing system. It claimed to have already consulted a committee who apparently were representing the drivers.
AOT’s management of transportation at the airport has been previously criticised for its lack of transparency and fairness. Their own, grossly overpriced, limousine service is unfairly promoted in the arrivals area, where passengers are warned not take the metered taxis for their own safety, despite having been awarded permits to pick up from the airport. Numerous complaints continue to pour in about the aggressive AOT-approved touts who accost visitors in the arrivals hall offering the limo service. Only recently AOT reluctantly agreed to move the taxi pick up to the ground floor and move their limos to the basement.
Info on Bangkok airport
Posted by: Andrew on 26 Dec 2007, 21:12