Thai air web site

[JonnieB]

tried to book a flight from bkk to phuket on thai's website today...what a piece of crap...broken links and error codes all the way.  never could make the booking.  what must people think of thailand when the national air carrier cannot even get a website up and running properly.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Now ....you must remember T i T. I know someone very senior at TG...I'll mention it and see if something is done. No wild promises mind.... T i T    

[ovenman]

I've always felt that THAI would be well served to look at what can be done on other airline's websites and make a real effort to duplicate that functionality.  Most of what THAI has implemented such as their version of on-line booking has been such a far cry from what is generally available from other airlines that it really should be embarassing for those involved. No need for THAI to be on the cutting edge of web development but they should at least be able to offer what has become a de facto standard elsewhere.

[JonnieB]

i am no techie expert on designing and programming websites...but as a user, i certainly do know when a site works or not.  thai's does seem to be a little on the not quite ready for prime time side of things.  cathay's and sing's sites are a pleasure to use and no problems booking flights on them before.  seems that thai's booking engine links into the amadeus reservations system but that the link doesn't seem to work...at least it didn't for my flight and i tried for half and hour.  each time getting 3 or 4 steps into the booking before an error code or broken link scuttled things.  

also, for the date and flt #  i wanted (10 nov #217 and 15 nov #670 return), the site showed only business class seats available.  good thing i never was able to make the booking online because when i did go to an agent later in the day, was able to book economy seats for the same flight with no problem.  in addition, have more time to issue the tics through the agent than with thai's website.  if i recall correctly, if you actually succeed at booking online and want to have a physical ticket issued you have to go to thai's local office where you booked (pattaya in my case) and pay for/issue the tix within 3 days of making the online reservation.  my travel agent gave me till the end of the month or about 10 days.

another hassle, when i did pop into the thai office at the dusit pattaya, again that same day, the wait must have been half and hour (it was jammed packed with people) while my agent is never busy.  

like the doc sez...TIT  ???

[AWSEM]

On Singapore airlines if you miss out on your points and you fly Singapore they can trace and fix the problem over there web site

Thai well lets see, send your tickets and boarding pass's to our nearest agent

They send them to Thailand

8 weeks later we may get to add them on

and if they get lost

bad luck

Hey what are computers for?????

[cbatson]

IT system development and maintenance seems to be a general issue here in Thailand.  Major websites with huge traffic are consistently broken: missing pages, broken features, stale links, errors, and more.  Jorjae.com's ecards that once worked were broken for months, and finally I gave up.

My ISP and its website are the same way.  I have net connection issues every day.  They constantly have random employees tinkering with their systems who have absolutely no clue and have no business touching a computer!  Why they can't just set it up and leave it working is beyond me.  Yes, I have actually seen them at work.  They click this, adjust that, fiddle with this, without knowing what they're doing, or putting a setting back after realizing that changing it had no effect on the problem at hand.

Perhaps I'm overgeneralizing here, but overall I get the feeling that there's a culture of mediocrity as far as IT in Thailand goes.  There doesn't seem to be any desire to do things "right" or take the effort to test that what you have done actually works.  I find the lack of pride in one's own work disturbing in these cases.

Then there's non-technical issues too.  Like my bank, which has an online banking service, but requires me to go and fill out a paper form in person at the Ayuttaya-era bank in the boonies where I originally opened my account.  Then there was the time I was charged 500 baht for depositing a check from a different Amper within the same province.  OOOooo don't get me started on the "banking system" here...

::

Chuck

[SeaVisionBurma]

aaahhh, this all seems a bit too much whining & bitching to me.

For a number of simple tasks, like getting my mileage emailed to me, checking timetables, and finding out how many miles from one destination to another - I'd say Thai Air's website is just fine thanks.

As for any website, in ANY country - I've used some good ones and some absolutely terrible ones.  The internet doesn't appear to me to be a perfect science, and WE DIDN'T HAVE IT AT ALL NOT SO LONG AGO!

I'd rather put up with what we've got now, and be thankful for it.

Same goes for satellite phones, satellite internet, and a few other modern techno goodies.  The world is striding ahead in leaps and bounds, and I for one am mostly awe-struck and quite thankful.

[KevinN]

CBatson, You didn't say in your post,,But have you ever seen any thing done in Thailand that you would call "real craftsmanship" I have had concrete poured,had a house built,and done a lot of things around here including having some work done on the pickup and everything was very sloppy workmanship. Seems that they refuse to do a job right,"just enough to get by" or in other words 1/2 assed work. I have seen no pride of work here.

[Edward B]

aaahhh, this all seems a bit too much whining & bitching to me.

For a number of simple tasks, like getting my mileage emailed to me, checking timetables, and finding out how many miles from one destination to another - I'd say Thai Air's website is just fine thanks.

As for any website, in ANY country - I've used some good ones and some absolutely terrible ones.  The internet doesn't appear to me to be a perfect science, and WE DIDN'T HAVE IT AT ALL NOT SO LONG AGO!

I'd rather put up with what we've got now, and be thankful for it.

Same goes for satellite phones, satellite internet, and a few other modern techno goodies.  The world is striding ahead in leaps and bounds, and I for one am mostly awe-struck and quite thankful.

I'm still amazed at how the fax works!  

[Edward B]

CBatson, You didn't say in your post,,But have you ever seen any thing done in Thailand that you would call "real craftsmanship" I have had concrete poured,had a house built,and done a lot of things around here including having some work done on the pickup and everything was very sloppy workmanship. Seems that they refuse to do a job right,"just enough to get by" or in other words 1/2 assed work. I have seen no pride of work here.

Weel now, I used to just laugh it off whenever I saw the 'Thai' way of doing anything.

The other week I took my car in to get fixed coz it wouldn't start (battery flat or alternator shot I guess). After waiting 10 minutes a guy came in to the waiting room to tell me that my car was ready ("rot set laew krup"). Happily, but reservedly I followed him to my car, got in turned the ignition key, still no dice. It wouldn't start! The embarrassed look on his face was well worth the extra 1 hour wait for him to have 'another go' at fixing it. I just laughed it off, snickering to myself "this is Thailand".

Then there's the time when, just before lunch, all the power went off in our building. Actually, the whole sector was down. Must've been something big. The following day I learned that they were making changes at the power plant, but someone forgot to turn off the mains resulting in some poor guy electrocuting himself to death. Not very funny that time.

                                     

[Axel]

I'm still amazed at how the fax works!

I love this statement.

For the rare snail-mail I gave up fiddling with the printer. Envelopes are back to ball pen and handwriting.  

Airline-sites are basically ok (ooops, just got a message, cannot find TG) but do not use your wheel-mouse or your reservation brings you to Addis Abeba instead of Atlanta. The sites neither can think (or perhaps the pic reading it?) Applying on CX, as example, for a ticket Dec 21 out of BKK, Jan 3 out of TYO. Confirmation within a few hours YOU ARE WAITLISTED, if by Nov. 20 still no seat your reservation will be automatically cancelled. Shot of an e-mail to a supervisor and requested counter-proposal, may be 1 day each earlier or later, or an later connecting flight in HKG, and wonder oh wonder, got somebody who confirmed 1 hour later out of HKG works.

Real horror are some rent-a-cars (worldwide). Worst Hertz, they let you fill in page by page and when everything finished tell you that you cannot drop off the car at the desired station. Back to page one and all with a 56 k - modem.

So, there still is a job for travel agents. I tell them, to bring me on a certain day from a-b, ask for the price and tell them which airlines. The rest up to them. Well, it works neither, in LoL they call me back every 30 min or so, to tell me what does not work. T.i.T. ???

[Guest IT Manager]

3 weeks ago when planning to go to Burma, RGN, I looked at thai web site, only cnx, bkk, rgn, or cnx, bkk, mandalay.

Found Air Mandala website, emailed the rep in CNX asking, and within an hour she emailed me with flight alternatives, asked for choice which I sent back.

30 minutes later e-mailed to ask where I wanted to pick the ticket up or did I want it delivered. Gave her those details.

Saturday at 10.05, boy on motorcycle with tickets, return, hand written, perfect. Absolutely no problem. TiT? It sure as hel# is.

[george]

Thai Airways = Shin Airlines  

[Payne]

We have always had very good success in booking Thai Airways tickets via the internet. It is kind of the airline to offer this service and we are sure that it will be expanded in the future.

It's wonderful that a developing country such as Thailand is able to offer passengers such a first class airline. And we have been on a few of them! Air Laos anyone?

By the way, does anyone remember Air Siam? We used to fly their 707's  LAX/BKK about 25-30 years ago.

[kwiz117]

We have always had very good success in booking Thai Airways tickets via the internet. It is kind of the airline to offer this service and we are sure that it will be expanded in the future.

It's wonderful that a developing country such as Thailand is able to offer passengers such a first class airline. And we have been on a few of them! Air Laos anyone?

Good reply..

The Difference between a Developing Country and a Developed Country.

I am sure many of you guys will not like Thailand if they become so developed and if you feel that it is no different than in your country.

Sometimes I book the ticket and then no confirmation.

Sometimes we book a ticket to go in VIP bus and ended up going in the worst bus.

Sometimes I tell a Thai staff to Add some numbers and he does exactly the opposite.

Sometimes I drive miles to find a U-turn to come back to the road I missed due to Thai Sign Boards or Confused Directions.

Sometimes I walk around 10 Rounds to buy a ticket from Major Cineplex in late night where no one in the queue ahead of me

Sometimes I call a Company and wait atleast 15 minutes pressing single digit numbers to go through the complex department structure enjoying listening to Thai and English Versions of PABX instructions and finally hearing a message saying “ I am not in the seat leave a message”

Sometimes I put coins to get a Pepsi Can at “One Stop Visa/Work Permit” office and getting ended up with nothing.

I really enjoy this and actually this is far better than some other Asian Countries. I am not trying to tell that Thai Website is good. Yes, they should improve it..but then, why don't you write your comments on your experiance for them to throw away or to consider? I think, it will help all of us.