OPPOSITION MPs HAVE been urged to investigate the unprecedented event in which Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will be flying a Thai Airway International airliner for as much as 30 million baht in chartered flight to the United States on Tuesday.

 

Somchai Srisutthiyakorn of the Thai Liberal Party today (Sep.17) called on the opposition lawmakers in general and the House Committee on Anti-corruption and Misconduct in particular to look into the event in which Srettha has managed to fly the THAI airliner on such a costly chartered flight to New York to attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly from Tuesday till Friday.

 

Accompanying the prime minister on an official trip to the US are an estimated 50 people including cabinet members, high-level government officials and private businesspersons, among others.

 

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Photo: Thai Rath

 

Full story: THAI NEWSROOM 2023-09-18

 

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Not sure I quite understand. So he paid 30 million baht just for a flight?

46 minutes ago, Deserted said:

Not sure I quite understand. So he paid 30 million baht just for a flight?

The Chartered flight has been estimated to cost 30M...

nothing has been clarified about who is going to pay what.

The seating arrangements for those 50 will be interesting; there aren't 50 seats in first class. Plus I'd expect some of the 50 have a wife going with them. Not all that expensive to go and return.

28 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

The seating arrangements for those 50 will be interesting; there aren't 50 seats in first class. Plus I'd expect some of the 50 have a wife going with them. Not all that expensive to go and return.

They will go bussines class 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Accompanying the prime minister on an official trip to the US are an estimated 50 people

If they're admitting to 50, it's more like 100.

 

Things have gone south before when a Thai PM from the TRT/PTP clan was at the U.N.

If anyone is looking at flight prices right now 30m now seems as cheap as chips ????

What is the issue?

 

Is it that the flight is overpriced (kickbacks going somewhere)?

 

Or is it the correct market price but the complaint is it’s too expensive (what is the alternative)?

 

Or is it the guest list (unnecessary tag alongs on a state sponsored junket)?

 

What was Prayuth doing for the past 9 years?

Reminds me of Prawit's junket to Hawaii in 2016

I'm curious to know how THAI airways received permission to fly into the US. I thought they lost their FAA permissions years ago. Maybe its because this will not be a normal commercial flight I guess.

Gentlemen’s clubs in NYC will be busy. 

Most likely free flights at taxpayer expense for family and friends.

 

I see, he's pulling an Adam Sandler, where he takes all his pals and family with when filming in holiday locations.

1 hour ago, khunjake said:

I'm curious to know how THAI airways received permission to fly into the US. I thought they lost their FAA permissions years ago.

My guess is that this is a diplomatic charter flight.

 

RTAF have a A340-600 (HS-TYV from TG) which is used for VIP flights, mostly to/from Germany mostly MUC).

 

But maybe this aircraft is unavailable. Technically it could fly (and has flown) direct, non-stop, but suspect a 777 will be used, with a stop.

 

Srettha's trip is scheduled for eight days (18 - 26 Sep) so not sure if the aircraft parks, or returns to Thailand. only to be dispatched later for the return segment? 

 

I'd say the group can't fly commercial so what choice is there?

 

No ROP miles for a charter flight.

 

Suspect the hotel and F&B bills will also be quite large.

 

IMO, the new government might have been better served with a smaller delegation, with Srettha remaining in Thailand during this critical juncture of his government.

 

 

Didn't take long for him to jump on the gravy train, did it. Or the masses of people who are apparently so 'essential' to accompany him on the jaunt official business trip - which is meant to achieve what, exactly?

Ok.  How much would it cost for Thailand to buy and service a "Thailand 1" which is equivalent to the Boeings and Air Buses that the US and EU heads of states travel in?

Billions of USD and EUR.  Air Force 1 costs approximately $200,000 per hour to fly and billions to build.

How many heads of state fly commercial as opposed to charter flight or via a plane whose purpose is to carry state leaders and dignitaries?

As a head of state and the leader of Thailand, Srettha using a chartered flight is pretty much business as usual.  What has his predecessors use?  What did Prayut use?  Military planes?  If so, what was the net cost per trip after factoring the cost of the plane, depreciation, and operating costs?
 

9 minutes ago, connda said:

Ok.  How much would it cost for Thailand to buy and service a "Thailand 1" which is equivalent to the Boeings and Air Buses that the US and EU heads of states travel in?

Billions of USD and EUR.  Air Force 1 costs approximately $200,000 per hour to fly and billions to build.

How many heads of state fly commercial as opposed to charter flight or via a plane whose purpose is to carry state leaders and dignitaries?

As a head of state and the leader of Thailand, Srettha using a chartered flight is pretty much business as usual.  What has his predecessors use?  What did Prayut use?  Military planes?  If so, what was the net cost? 
 

Just saying - I don't see anything unusual about this other than perhaps the House Committee on Anti-corruption and Misconduct should check to see the average price that Thai Airway charges to charter the type of plane that Srettha is using.  You'd think that there would be some bureaucratic agencies within the Thai government responsible for arranging travel for the Prime Minister of the country as well as other government dignitaries whose primary task is to work with private airliners carriers to negotiate service contracts for air travel, including chartering planes - transparently.

The Royal Thai Air Force has: 4 Boeing 737s, 1 Airbus 319, 2 Airbus 320s, 1 Airbus A340 ( specifically acquired if I recall to fly very long haul flights such as Bangkok - New York); all configured for VIP transport.

 

if you add in the smaller aircraft, ATRs, SAABs and the Sukhois, then it has a remarkable total of 25 VIP aircraft, compared to 12 tactical airlift aircraft (C130s).

 

why are they having to hire a civilian airliner?

 

Has the military said no, you are civvies, you can't fly on our aircraft?

 

Keep asking the awkward questions MFP!

10 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

The Royal Thai Air Force has: 4 Boeing 737s, 1 Airbus 319, 2 Airbus 320s, 1 Airbus A340 ( specifically acquired if I recall to fly very long haul flights such as Bangkok - New York); all configured for VIP transport.

 

if you add in the smaller aircraft, ATRs, SAABs and the Sukhois, then it has a remarkable total of 25 VIP aircraft, compared to 12 tactical airlift aircraft (C130s).

 

why are they having to hire a civilian airliner?

 

Has the military said no, you are civvies, you can't fly on our aircraft?

 

Keep asking the awkward questions MFP!

 

In the other topic on this subject Srettha was quoted as saying that the RTAF's A340 aircraft has insufficient 1st class seats, and some of the business class seats are broken.????

What this report didn't include:

 

The cost includes 16.8 million baht for fuel, 11.7 million baht for operational costs, and 1.5 million baht for food and beverages. The estimated cost for food and beverages is 29,400 baht per person for the round trip or 14,700 baht per one-way trip.

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1703290143464206704

 

5 minutes ago, anchadian said:

The estimated cost for food and beverages is 29,400 baht per person for the round trip or 14,700 baht per one-way trip.

WHAT are they eating? Let's see the menu.

28 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

WHAT are they eating? Let's see the menu.

And WHY are they even going? 

I remember flying nonstop to New York on TG, one of the worst flights ever - apart from being veeerrrrryyyy long.

The army boys some years back participated in a military show of some sort in Honolulu/Hawaii and they flew on a B747; the catering featured French champagne and the works in the tens of thousands of dollars and the official number of participants was more than doubled by shown only on the outbound passenger list, mostly females and ha generation to two younger. The public queried the matter ...... to no outcome, of course, as usual. 

Some years ago I read an article, that the Swiss president (which is higher than a prime minister) attended an ASEM meeting in Ulanbataar; the capital of Mongolia and travelled on a normal business class seat on Turkish Airlines via Istanbul - interesting how some countries keep public spending of their "officers" in check! 

7 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

but suspect a 777 will be used, with a stop.

 

TG 8832

BKK-HND/HND-JFK

 

Thai Airways B787-8

HS-TQB

 

 

Boondoggle to US to China….next 

Helping Thai Airways pay off its debt. Only 599.70 billion Baht more to go. 

20 hours ago, webfact said:

among others.

It's the among others I'm worried about.????

12 hours ago, KannikaP said:

WHAT are they eating? Let's see the menu.

They must have taken some high-priced sideline girls with them. 

Well, you put whole government on the same flight and you could end up like Poland.... or Wagner, if Vlad is managing aircraft maintenance.

 

Even companies don't allow more than a couple of people to fly on the same flight... I guess for government that doesn't matter...

 

Remembered a joke:

Government delegation was coming to visit elementary school so teacher wanted to prepare class that politicians were going to visit, to give good impression...

Teacher: Can anyone tell me what would be a catastrophe?

Johnny: If rabbit ate cabbage in the garden...

Teacher: No, that would have been harm but not a catastrophe. Catastrophe would be for example if the plane, carrying entire government crashed... Got the difference?

Johnny nods to confirm, when the door opens and delegation walks in....

Minister: Can anyone tell me what would be a catastrophe?

Johnny: If plane full of government politicians crashed...

Minister: Excellent, you know the terms very well!

Johnny: But there would be no harm in that. Harm would be if rabbit ate cabbage...

13 hours ago, KannikaP said:

WHAT are they eating? Let's see the menu.

They won't be eating stewed pork on rice, washed down with Montclair's finest wine from a box. That's for sure.