By Joe Cusmano 

TD Syndicated Partner

 

According to Nitinai Sirisamatthakarn, general director of Airports of Thailand (AOT) Public Company, international airlines have returned up to 80% of their airport slots at Thailand’s six international airports between October 31st and March 26th of next year.

 

AOT operates Thailand’s international airports Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Hat Yai, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai’s Mae Fah Luang.

 

There has been a fair bit of frustration with the operation of the Thailand Pass website, with people reporting flaws preventing applicants from submitting their applications correctly, rejections, and issues with the Johnson&Johnson vaccine, as the website previously required two certificates. They waited two weeks before allowing the website to go live, indicating that Thailand had once again failed to meet expectations by failing to do enough pre-launch testing.

 

Full story: https://www.traveldailymedia.com/who-is-traveling-to-thailand-now-that-international-airlines-have-returned-80-of-their-slots/

 

-- © Copyright Travel Daily 2021-11-11

 

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I hope they manage to open soon, as the people really needs it. However, myself having a dual degree and ex. corporate banker is completely stressed out with my STV & TP application, lol. 

Upwards and onwards. 

2 kind of people are traveling to Thailand now, those who must and those how thinks that visiting Thailand and  it's fun to to go trough all the hassles of endless documents, jabs and insurance is worth it...

That other 20% of slots will be relinquished soon unless they can get passenger capacity up to the 75%+ + +  to make a profit unless the airlines ask the 40 or so passengers to throw in a few tens of thousands to pay for the fuel and a tip for the pilot

 

International airlines do not have to shoulder the financial burden of the incompetent and unrealistic idiocy of governments and they won't for long

 

Either they really open or stay closed but enough of this insanity

 

 

1 minute ago, ezzra said:

2 kind of people are traveling to Thailand now, those who must and those how thinks that visiting Thailand and  it's fun to to go trough all the hassles of endless documents, jabs and insurance is worth it...

That should guarantee around 25 dazed and confused souls on each flight so they can all fit in the business class cabin - A quiet flight and they can sit with the pilots LOL

I had planned to return to Thailand after 19 months away from the family for x-mas, but I will wait until mid Jan now. There is just too much nonsense that may be ironed out in the next month or so. 

 

Personally I think when they see the disaster arrivals coming for end of year - if they don't remove certain current demands - they may scrap some of it.

 

People need to plan holidays in 2022, they will be looking in early 2022 (if not now) for a destination and if they see all this nonsense now or early next year still continuing then they will look elsewhere. Most people don't impulse buy thai holidays, and thai pass is killing planning

44 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I had planned to return to Thailand after 19 months away from the family for x-mas, but I will wait until mid Jan now. There is just too much nonsense that may be ironed out in the next month or so. 

 

Personally I think when they see the disaster arrivals coming for end of year - if they don't remove certain current demands - they may scrap some of it.

 

People need to plan holidays in 2022, they will be looking in early 2022 (if not now) for a destination and if they see all this nonsense now or early next year still continuing then they will look elsewhere. Most people don't impulse buy thai holidays, and thai pass is killing planning

My family in the UK, daughter, her kids and even my mum have all cancelled coming to visit me and their extended family here because of all the obstacles. Just too many risks involved with people who have limited dates in which they can travel and return. Real tourists will be very few.

Been sitting tight for months now hoping it would sort itself out and I could believe the efforts they were making . I'm glad I did because I was desperate to visit to catch up with a good friend , no its not a girl and I'm not gay lol , but I still dont believe their figures and theres not a chance in hell I would even attempt to go through the rigmarole needed to currently go . Instead I'm off to Portugal for 4 weeks , no restrictions , test on arrival and thats it. No stupid exorbitant insurance apart from a normal travel insurance that I always take out anyway at £65. Limited mask wearing and everything open so its a no brainer really. I know two travel agents where I live and there not booking anyone to Thailand apart from a few Thai nationals . So thats me now ,unless something drastic happens to improve the deal , till next November as not coming from April till October for obvious reasons. 

The gov talks about their "6 International Airports" ... I believe only 2 - BKK and Phuket - are seeing any international flights.

 

Chiang Mai did have 1 flight last Fri from S Korea, but are any others getting flights and tourists coming in?

1 hour ago, Oblomov said:

That other 20% of slots will be relinquished soon unless they can get passenger capacity up to the 75%+ + +  to make a profit unless the airlines ask the 40 or so passengers to throw in a few tens of thousands to pay for the fuel and a tip for the pilot

 

International airlines do not have to shoulder the financial burden of the incompetent and unrealistic idiocy of governments and they won't for long

 

Either they really open or stay closed but enough of this insanity

 

 

I certainly don't know where they are coming up with these grandiose arrival numbers on limited flights, all of which are half empty on any given day.

31 minutes ago, HaoleBoy said:

The gov talks about their "6 International Airports" ... I believe only 2 - BKK and Phuket - are seeing any international flights.

 

Chiang Mai did have 1 flight last Fri from S Korea, but are any others getting flights and tourists coming in?

The answer to that question is no. There have been no scheduled international flights to U-Tapao, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, or any other of the smaller Thai airports formerly catering to international arrivals since spring last year. 

 

Maybe a few international charters, but these, if any have been in extremely small numbers,

 

The Thai airline industry is in very bad shape, kept alive by mainly internal flights.

 

TG is a basket case, but has been for years, anyway.

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

2 kind of people are traveling to Thailand now, those who must and those how thinks that visiting Thailand and  it's fun to to go trough all the hassles of endless documents, jabs and insurance is worth it...

Irresponsible to travel for leisure and madness to involve your children in your irresponsibility in this present pandemic .

Only those of us who live here or long term motivated travellers. Short term tourists would be idiots to come here with the current system.

 

The Thailand Pass is just the start of the nonsense. Once you get past the stupidity of that system, enjoy the Russian roulette of getting tested, or better still just being near someone who tests positive.

 

Airlines are not stupid. You only return slots when you know there's no point in keeping them. If you think the paperwork is bad now, so you can have the "privilege of coming to Thailand" and spending your money, can you imagine the nightmare of getting the slots back.

 

The expected arrival numbers are just lottery numbers with about as much chance of hitting them.

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

if they don't remove certain current demands

What 'demands' are hard to comply with?

57 minutes ago, HaoleBoy said:

The gov talks about their "6 International Airports" ... I believe only 2 - BKK and Phuket - are seeing any international flights.

 

Chiang Mai did have 1 flight last Fri from S Korea, but are any others getting flights and tourists coming in?

A family who were planning to visit on vacation, dropped the plan as wasting one day stay in BKK (Plus 1-2 days travel), out of their 10 day vacation, was not an attractive proposition.

 

They were petrified of being hospitalised for 2-3 weeks & insurance washing their hands, in case they tested positive upon arrival.

 

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

They waited two weeks before allowing the website to go live, indicating that Thailand had once again failed to meet expectations by failing to do enough pre-launch testing.

Gee, who could have predicted that? 

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Most people don't impulse buy thai holidays, and thai pass is killing planning

Planning? What’s that? 
 

Don’t you know Thailand operates on the “mai pen rai” principle? ????

1 hour ago, HaoleBoy said:

The gov talks about their "6 International Airports" ... I believe only 2 - BKK and Phuket - are seeing any international flights.

 

Chiang Mai did have 1 flight last Fri from S Korea, but are any others getting flights and tourists coming in?

and they have forgotten about buriram airport, to which they expect charter flights.

It's the city from where the transport minister is and from where bhumjaithai political party has it's mafia roots. Probably they count on marihuana tourists coming for legal treatments

Edited November 11, 20214 yr by internationalism

Quote

Who is traveling to Thailand now that international airlines have returned 80% of their slots?

Well, according to the TAT, the Finance Ministry, the Agricultural Ministry and some Generals, it will be millions of wealthy Indians traveling to Thailand, and since they all have their own private planes and rowboats it won't matter that airlines have returned their slots.

44 minutes ago, Le Addeur noir said:

 There have been no scheduled international flights to U-Tapao, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, or any other of the smaller Thai airports formerly catering to international arrivals since spring last year.

83 tourists arrived on a Jeju Air flight from South Korea's Incheon airport.

The flight touched down in Chiang Mai at 10.05pm.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1238431-chiang-mai-welcomes-83-foreign-tourists-on-reopening/

 

There is no way that airlines have taken up 80% of the slots. Most planes are still parked up and it will be months before they are even ready to fly, pilots are retrained and staff are brought back, but only if there is a demand for them, which there isn't.

Nobody really is going to Thailand for a care free holiday.  Those that spend lots of time there, i.e. 3 months will be.  That is why 80 percent were returned all right.

Tourism is dead, and will continue to be dead for a long long time.  

Once the slots have been returned, the released aircraft will be reassigned to other destinations with easier access for all the passengers who want a holiday without hassle.

 

this means that even if Thailand removes all restrictions, there may not be enough aircraft available to fill that demand. Checkmate.

41 minutes ago, Karma80 said:

Only those of us who live here or long term motivated travellers. Short term tourists would be idiots to come here with the current system.

 

The Thailand Pass is just the start of the nonsense. Once you get past the stupidity of that system, enjoy the Russian roulette of getting tested, or better still just being near someone who tests positive.

 

Airlines are not stupid. You only return slots when you know there's no point in keeping them. If you think the paperwork is bad now, so you can have the "privilege of coming to Thailand" and spending your money, can you imagine the nightmare of getting the slots back.

 

The expected arrival numbers are just lottery numbers with about as much chance of hitting them.

I would imagine, that everywhere in the world airlines fly at below 20% of their flight capacity.

Getting back their slots would be easy for many years, and at discount from airports.

They are making money now from cargo, not passengers 

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

2 kind of people are traveling to Thailand now, those who must and those how thinks that visiting Thailand and  it's fun to to go trough all the hassles of endless documents, jabs and insurance is worth it...

You just described two types....Family members, and X games participants......

31 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

What 'demands' are hard to comply with?

Sure the word " Demand " sounds harsh but to many that is what it is especially as the response that note if your plans are for a two week holiday. With the many stories that are flooding around if you are on that type of schedule submitting and waiting to get a response when your flight is schedule in just a few days that could be hard to swallow for many. There are reports since the website has been in placed November 1st, 65,000 has applied yet only something like 15-20,000 has been approved? Not a lot of countries are requiring or demanding these requirements?  If one has all the time in the world then I can see it not being a demand?????

 

For myself I wouldn't consider it a demand but it isn't something I would consider at this time.

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I had planned to return to Thailand after 19 months away from the family for x-mas, but I will wait until mid Jan now. There is just too much nonsense that may be ironed out in the next month or so. 

 

Personally I think when they see the disaster arrivals coming for end of year - if they don't remove certain current demands - they may scrap some of it.

 

People need to plan holidays in 2022, they will be looking in early 2022 (if not now) for a destination and if they see all this nonsense now or early next year still continuing then they will look elsewhere. Most people don't impulse buy thai holidays, and thai pass is killing planning

Well said.

8 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

You just described two types....Family members, and X games participants......

I'd add idiots, who are never concerned about the potential consequences of their actions.

24 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

There is no way that airlines have taken up 80% of the slots. Most planes are still parked up and it will be months before they are even ready to fly, pilots are retrained and staff are brought back, but only if there is a demand for them, which there isn't.

They have given up 80% of their slots. Not taken them.

If I were a normal tourist looking for a nice holiday, no way would I travel to Thailand now. However, I need to go there to be with wife. That being said, while I am motivated and currently trying to travel there, can't get Thailand Pass to give me an approval. It's a <deleted> show. So, may end up giving up and canceling my trip.