Thai Airways sees surge in bookings despite pandemic and global conflict

[webfact]

 

Thai Airways International (THAI) reported a surge in bookings on its European and Australian routes for the fourth quarter of this year, signalling a robust recovery for the airline even amid an ongoing pandemic.

 

Despite the broader global economic slowdown and the Israel-Hamas war, these routes have witnessed heavy bookings. However, the Chinese market remains slow, possibly due to various factors including domestic economic challenges and security concerns about Thailand.

 

THAI President Chai Eamsiri disclosed this information yesterday. He cited that while the demand from Europe and Australia is promising, the Chinese market hasn’t shown substantial recovery. The average capacity of bookings from China is hovering around 60%.

 

One of the potential reasons behind the sluggish Chinese demand could be the October 3 shooting at Siam Paragon. The unfortunate event resulted in the death of a Chinese mother of twins and left another Chinese tourist injured. This incident has seemingly reignited safety concerns among Chinese travellers about visiting Thailand.

 

by Mitch Connor

Photo courtesy of Bangkok Post.

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-10-27

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[dinsdale]

Thai Airways sees surge in bookings despite pandemic and global conflict

What pandemic? Is this for real or just 100% completely out of touch with reality.

[Will B Good]

That'll be down to the new uniforms.

[2baht]

2 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

That'll be down to the new uniforms.

      I'll bet their fares don't go down! 😏

[Bangkok Barry]

I know that the airline is behind in so many things - like aircraft and service levels, unimportant stuff like that - but shouldn't they be aware that the pandemic has been over for at least a year, and a lot longer in many places?

[billd766]

Thai Airways is owned by the same government that owns TAT and TOT. From what I have seen of their forecasts, their executives have been skipping their sodium pentothal or sodium thiopental truth serum daily med doses.

[avidorn]

I don't think "despite" is the best interpretation.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

However, the Chinese market remains slow, possibly due to various factors including domestic economic challenges and security concerns about Thailand

Got that right.

[blazes]

3 hours ago, 2baht said:

3 hours ago, Will B Good said:

That'll be down to the new uniforms.

      I'll bet their fares don't go down! 😏

 

So long as the uniforms don't come down....

[findlay13]

I would be interested to know many are still waiting for refunds from Thai Airways from the bankruptcy/ "restructure" ? I got mine finally after years of waiting.

[Albaby]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

Thai Airways is owned by the same government that owns TAT and TOT. From what I have seen of their forecasts, their executives have been skipping their sodium pentothal or sodium thiopental truth serum daily med doses.

I've been on 6 domestic flights on the Thai owned Smiles in the last month. Plenty of tourists and all full.

[connda]

Tomorrow. 
"The <enter Thai agency> forecasts a 30% drop in tourist arrivals in 2024."

[billd766]

1 hour ago, Albaby said:

I've been on 6 domestic flights on the Thai owned Smiles in the last month. Plenty of tourists and all full.

Good for you but the thread was about Thai European and Australian long haul routes and not Thai Smile domestic routes.

 

I have no room to talk, as my last long haul flight was when I returned from NZ in May 2009, using Singapore Airways. My last domestic flight was also in 2009 from BKK to NST and I came back from NST. on a sleeper train to BKK and 350km back home on a motorbike I had bought in NST.

 

Totally irrelevant to the thread though.

[PETERTHEEATER]

6 hours ago, 2baht said:

      I'll bet their fares don't go down! 😏

Monica Lewinski did.

[UbonEagle]

Pandemic…you idiots 😄 it’s over let it go. Noticeable drop in mask wearing here in Ubon, even earlier this year was still pretty common 

Edited October 28, 2023 by UbonEagle

[sscc]

22 hours ago, billd766 said:

Good for you but the thread was about Thai European and Australian long haul routes and not Thai Smile domestic routes.

 

I

 

Thai Airway just announced days ago  European and Australian routes had been booked  "full"  for fourth quarter of this year. 

 

Tourism is up, Airlines are busy. 

Good and Happy for them. 

[sunchaser]

I think they have suddenly realised that dropping their prices results in more customers. No stop flights to Heathrow among the cheapest now.

[Albaby]

On 10/27/2023 at 4:29 PM, billd766 said:

Good for you but the thread was about Thai European and Australian long haul routes and not Thai Smile domestic routes.

 

I have no room to talk, as my last long haul flight was when I returned from NZ in May 2009, using Singapore Airways. My last domestic flight was also in 2009 from BKK to NST and I came back from NST. on a sleeper train to BKK and 350km back home on a motorbike I had bought in NST.

 

Totally irrelevant to the thread though.

Great to get your life story mate, but I've got a thought for you to ponder. If all domestic flights are fully booked, with heaps of of tourists, what does that tell you about the incoming  long haul bookings?  I'll wait. Btw, no room to talk? Those 5sqm rooms with a fan aren't my thing. Cheers

[mommysboy]

Emigrating! Dire economy and air pollution season coming.

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, sunchaser said:

I think they have suddenly realised that dropping their prices results in more customers. No stop flights to Heathrow among the cheapest now.

If all bookings are taken,  their prices could well have been higher. 

[retarius]

Well some great news, no doubt predicted accurately by TAT and aided by new uniforms. Tip: try see through uniforms and watch booking soar like a Thai Airways jet.

[zzaa09]

On 10/26/2023 at 9:04 PM, 2baht said:

      I'll bet their fares don't go down! 😏

Have they ever?

Appears to be the universal airfare practice applied post-COVID. 

In a round about way, this 3-year hoax was a boom for airlines the world over - justifying the unreasonably moderate to very high pricing that we're witnessing today. Once it sticks, it'll stay for years to come. 

[2baht]

1 minute ago, zzaa09 said:

Have they ever?

Appears to be the universal airfare practice applied post-COVID. 

In a round about way, this 3-year hoax was a boom for airlines the world over - justifying the unreasonably moderate to very high pricing that we're witnessing today. Once it sticks, it'll stay for years to come. 

 

       Banks and airlines, daylight robbers!

[zzaa09]

7 minutes ago, 2baht said:

 

       Banks and airlines, daylight robbers!

......and their overseers: govts, politicians and corporate heads. 

Oligarchy rules the day.

[Woke to Sounds of Horking]

2 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

justifying the unreasonably moderate to very high pricing that we're witnessing today. Once it sticks, it'll stay for years to come.

Seems to me in lockstep w those certain govts fawning over the ideologies of the Schwabinator, the whole "you'll own diddly, eat bugs and smile" crowd.  They can't force you to stop traveling but they can price you out of it. Or shame you out of it.

[SmartyMarty]

On 10/27/2023 at 2:21 PM, findlay13 said:

I would be interested to know many are still waiting for refunds from Thai Airways from the bankruptcy/ "restructure" ? I got mine finally after years of waiting.

My refund took over 2.5 years, I was never advised that the refund had been paid. I also discovered that despite being a Star Alliance member, Thai won't credit many domestic flights from other airline members, even when full price paid. Complaints to Star Alliance were directed back to Thai with zero response. Result; I will never fly them again.