THAI to take back stranded Aussie, Kiwi tourists and bring back Thais

[snoop1130]

THAI to take back stranded Aussie, Kiwi tourists and bring back Thais

By THE NATION

 

 

Thai Airways International (THAI), in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and the embassies of Australia and New Zealand in Bangkok, will fly tourists from the two countries who have been stranded here and the Thais stuck there back home on the following flights:

 

1. TG475 will leave for Sydney from Suvarnabhumi Airport on April 25, while TG476 will fly from Sydney to Bangkok on April 26.

 

2. TG491 leaves for Auckland on April 26 and TG492 flies back to Bangkok from Auckland on April 27.

 

In line with the Covid-19 prevention measures put in place by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, Thais returning from Australia and New Zealand must undergo the 14-day state quarantine, said Chakkrit Parapuntakul, THAI’s second vice chairman and acting president.

 

Cabin crew are required to wear protective suits, medical masks and gloves on board and are to monitor passengers with possible symptoms from take-off to landing. Each aircraft will also undergo deep cleaning.

 

The Foreign Ministry, the Australian and New Zealand embassies in Thailand, as well as the Thai missions in Wellington, Canberra and Sydney have jointly contributed to arranging these flights.

 

Though THAI has suspended all passenger flights, the carrier continues to operate cargo flights in accordance with the government’s policy to boost export and import of goods that generate corporate income and support Thailand’s agricultural sector.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30386484

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-04-21

 

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[yuyiinthesky]

Good, let them get home!

[thedemon]

BKK-AKL THB54,800 one way

[rasmus5150]

3 hours ago, thedemon said:

BKK-AKL THB54,800 one way

Phew, that was a nasty price.

[kingdong]

3 hours ago, thedemon said:

BKK-AKL THB54,800 one way

Thai airlines are all heart

[mstevens]

6 hours ago, thedemon said:

BKK-AKL THB54,800 one way

If anyone waited and waited and didn't get out when they had the chance to do so, they have nothing to complain about; in fact they should be grateful for the chance to get out.

[tso310]

Sounds like an old cold war spy exchange.

[Odysseus123]

10 hours ago, yuyiinthesky said:

Good, let them get home!

You are all heart...

 

 

[scorecard]

10 hours ago, thedemon said:

BKK-AKL THB54,800 one way

Where is the information that passengers on this flight will have to pay a 54.800Baht fare?

[scorecard]

10 hours ago, thedemon said:

BKK-AKL THB54,800 one way

Where is the information that passengers on this flight will have to pay a 54.800Baht fare?

[Dazinoz]

3 hours ago, scorecard said:

Where is the information that passengers on this flight will have to pay a 54.800Baht fare?

I don't know about the fare to NZ but the far to Sydney, Australia is 26760 baht and that is from an email I received from the embassy.

 

"Thank you for registering your details with the Australian Embassy in Bangkok and Consulate-General in Phuket.

 

You may have seen on our Facebook page Australia in Thailand  that Thai Airways will be operating a direct flight from Bangkok to Sydney on 25 April. Thai Airways have asked that this Embassy provide them with a manifest of 306 passengers.  In compiling this manifest, our starting point is that we have well over 2000 people registered, 641 of whom have indicated that they would like to return to Australia. The flight will be available to Australian citizens and their immediate family (spouse and children), in the first instance.

 

If your immediate family are not Australian citizens, permanent residents, or a New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia, they can only come to Australia in limited circumstances. These are provided on the Home Affairs COVID-19 page. You must seek an exemption to the travel ban prior to travel, using the formhere. Your family will be unable to travel until the Department of Home Affairs advises them they can. As such you are encouraged to submit an online visitor visa application and seek the exemption (using the form in the link) ASAP.  The Embassy’s Consular team is unable to assist in relation to visa or travel ban exemption requests.

 

Thai Airways will not use their normal ticketing system for this flight. The price for the tickets is 26760 THB (about AUD1300). The payment method is still being finalised though you will likely need to have a credit card and/or be able to go into a Thai bank to deposit funds in a Thai Airways account. Further details will be provided shortly. " 

[Dazinoz]

13 hours ago, thedemon said:

BKK-AKL THB54,800 one way

Less than half that to Oz.

 

[DoctorG]

8 minutes ago, Dazinoz said:

Less than half that to Oz.

 

Maybe that is a return fare, just in case you step off the plane in NZ and realize it is such a boring place that you immediately want to return to TH.

(just kidding my kiwi cousins)

[Burma Bill]

Quote:-

 

"Each aircraft will also undergo deep cleaning"

 

[mtls2005]

On FB (NZ/BKK/Embassy) said they are still trying to negotiate the fare lower, maybe because of the disparity with the price of the SYD flight?

 

The OZ AMB said (video on FB) they had 2,000 interested in the 306 seats, and would use a lottery method but not separate families/couples.

 

54,000 THB is still probably less than one would pay (housing, food) to stay for another three months, and even then no assurances that you'll be able to leave. And a one-way ticket might be ~ 20,000-ish?

 

 

[AtlasAus]

If you go to the Aus Embassy site the Ambassador (who has been doing a great job) announced not all seats had been filled and there would be no guarantee another flight would be in the offering anytime soon. 

[thedemon]

24 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

On FB (NZ/BKK/Embassy) said they are still trying to negotiate the fare lower, maybe because of the disparity with the price of the SYD flight?

 

The OZ AMB said (video on FB) they had 2,000 interested in the 306 seats, and would use a lottery method but not separate families/couples.

 

54,000 THB is still probably less than one would pay (housing, food) to stay for another three months, and even then no assurances that you'll be able to leave. And a one-way ticket might be ~ 20,000-ish?

 

 

 

Haha yes, even better when you factor in the (not optional) 2 weeks free room and board courtesy of the NZ govt.

 

54,800 is the one way price. The other option is to fly via Doha which is 6 hours flight in the wrong direction. Then to Auckland via Sydney for a total of 45 hours. Not sure what that costs.

[thedemon]

4 hours ago, scorecard said:

Where is the information that passengers on this flight will have to pay a 54.800Baht fare?

 From the NZ Embassy. They are coordinating the flight and as far as I know it can't be purchased directly through TG.

 

It is completely a guess but perhaps the NZ govt is enforcing social distance seating on the flight to AKL in which case it will be (half?) empty hence the high price.

 

I have no idea how many Thais are booked on the return flight to BKK but I do know that the last commercial operation of TG492 left AKL almost empty after the CAAT suddenly implemented to fit to fly requirement thereby stranding 200+ Thai citizens.

[Dazinoz]

50 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

54,000 THB is still probably less than one would pay (housing, food) to stay for another three months, and even then no assurances that you'll be able to leave. And a one-way ticket might be ~ 20,000-ish?

If that price is correct it is a one way fare.

[thedemon]

Only 44 passengers booked on the TG repatriation flight to Auckland tonight. All economy class because the front cabin is blocked off due to (I think) some CAAT regulation.

 

Based on that, the 55k price doesn't seem extortionate.

[madmen]

This from oz embassy yesterday .You would <deleted> if you paid 28k for thai arways flight that departed yesterday!

 

 

Planned itinerary:
Departing Bangkok for Sydney at 8.20am on Wednesday 29 April.
Arriving Sydney at 8.35pm on Wednesday 29 April. Its a Spanish airline obviously bringing back citizens from oz 

Ticket prices:
Tourist class - 520.52 Euros (approximately 890 Australian Dollars)
Tourist Premium class - 620.52 Euros (approximately 1060 Australian Dollars)
Business class - 920.29 Euros (approximately 1560 Australian Dollars)

[lee b]

They should give the flights away for free if they are actually going to be gringing back Thai nationals stranded overseas.

 

Yes i know there is more chance of E.T. piloting the plane than that though.

[whiteman]

I am a kiwi i would rather stay here in Thailand than go back to nz even if it was free ????