Thai Smile Air To Separate From Flag Carrier Thai Airways International

[webfact]

Thai Smile Air to separate from flag carrier THAI

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Nov 16 – Thai Smile Air, a budget airline operated by Thai Airways International (THAI), will be split off as a sister company of the national flag carrier, according to a resolution by the THAI board of directors.

Board chairman Ampon Kittiampon said today that THAI president Sorachak Kasemsuwan has been instructed to map out a four-point business strategy, including Thai Smile Air status as a sister company, to be submitted to the board of directors on Dec 15.

The board positioned THAI as a premium airline while Thai Smile Air will provide multi-point regional service and Nok Air, another sister company, is a quality low-cost air carrier.

Mr Ampon said the four-point strategy which must be developed involves the THAI kitchen, ground services, air cargo and expense control, especially on fuel.

At its meeting today, the board was informed of the THAI performance in October which saw 1.71 million passengers, an 8 per cent increase from the previous month, and an 11 per cent increase from the same period last year.

Performance in the second quarter was Bt 3 billion below target while expenses were Bt 1 billion higher.

Mr Sorachak, however, painted a positive projection for an 11-12 per cent revenue growth next year when THAI will have 17 more aircraft.

The THAI president predicted a total revenue of Bt 223-224 billion next year. He also targeted increasing sales volume by 15 per cent from online ticketing. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-11-16

[Totster]

So does this mean that Thai will start flying more expensive flights to Phuket as well as the Thai Smile flights (that have been transferred from Thai Air)?

Totster

[KarstenBoAndersen]

Maybe they will find out that quantyties not is better then quality !

Filling up the planes with people who pay less then half the normal rate (via tour operators) !

Like Copenhagen Bangkok, there a normal ticket cost 4x.000 Baht, that is what many tour guests had paid for the whole package, 8 days hotel, air-fare, bus etc. so Thai Airways had sold that seat to about half of what we good customers have to pay !!

Maybe also chancel all the free flights for goverment officials !!!!

Thai Airways say they not make money on the route to Khon Kaen, but they have 3 full flights a day !!!! Maybe because up to 1/3 is none paying passagers !!!!

So stop with Thai Airways and let Nok Ait take over.

[jayjayjayjay]

I don't get this Thai Smile thingy anyway. Book Thai, fly business class to CM on apparently Thai Smile and return on a Thai flight. Same planes, same service, same hostesses, same mean, same orange juice, same old business seats... so how could they have been different. My guess is someone is Thai is abusing the system to make lots of money selling Thai Smile booked seats to normal Thai Airy customers. Possibly the wife, son or niece of an influential person!

[Totster]

Maybe they will find out that quantyties not is better then quality !

Thai Airways say they not make money on the route to Khon Kaen, but they have 3 full flights a day !!!!

4 flights per day !

totster

[Rancid]

Thai Smile, never heard of them, but as live in CM see the real deal daily.

[asiawatcher]

I wonder what the need would be to separate them? I would think riding up on big brother would help a great deal with the branding. Who knows?

[geriatrickid]

I don't get this Thai Smile thingy anyway. Book Thai, fly business class to CM on apparently Thai Smile and return on a Thai flight. Same planes, same service, same hostesses, same mean, same orange juice, same old business seats... so how could they have been different. My guess is someone is Thai is abusing the system to make lots of money selling Thai Smile booked seats to normal Thai Airy customers. Possibly the wife, son or niece of an influential person!

If that's true, then you should advise the exchange regulators in Bangkok, Germany the USA where Thai stock is traded. The type of activity you are alluding to is illegal and subject to sanction.

[Xonax]

No way that Thai Smile´s prices are low-cost. Who do they think they are foolling?

[puck2]

No way that Thai Smile´s prices are low-cost. Who do they think they are foolling?

At the end of 2012, their tickets BKK -> CNX -> BKK are cheaper than those of Nok Air, Air Asia and Bangkok Airways.

[Nisa]

No way that Thai Smile´s prices are low-cost. Who do they think they are foolling?

At the end of 2012, their tickets BKK -> CNX -> BKK are cheaper than those of Nok Air, Air Asia and Bangkok Airways.

What is their price? The picture you posted shows a special of 2310 but Air Asia has flights as low as 1690 flying from BKK to CNX and 1090 coming back during the week before and after Christmas.

[THAILIBAN]

THAI SMILE is basically just THAI AIRWAYS with a new livery painted on their aircraft.

90% of the "new" flights are not new, those flights they have just taken over from Thai Air.

You can even earn miles on all domestic routes and fares, and on international routes the THAI ROP-rules apply.

I thinkt they don't know what to do with that useless and unwanted hybrid-model. And yes, they are VERY expensive, just 5% or so less than the regular Thai flights.

they should BURY these THAI SMILES again, and let NOK AIR grow naturally instead. NOK has quite a smart management, not making big waves or headlines, but producing solid financial results quarter by quarter.

Hope they will be flying internationally again one day, to kill the monopoly that expensive AirAsia enjoys on many routes

[Totster]

THAI SMILE is basically just THAI AIRWAYS with a new livery painted on their aircraft.

90% of the "new" flights are not new, those flights they have just taken over from Thai Air.

Really !!! You think ??

totster

[jayjayjayjay]

I don't get this Thai Smile thingy anyway. Book Thai, fly business class to CM on apparently Thai Smile and return on a Thai flight. Same planes, same service, same hostesses, same mean, same orange juice, same old business seats... so how could they have been different. My guess is someone is Thai is abusing the system to make lots of money selling Thai Smile booked seats to normal Thai Airy customers. Possibly the wife, son or niece of an influential person!

If that's true, then you should advise the exchange regulators in Bangkok, Germany the USA where Thai stock is traded. The type of activity you are alluding to is illegal and subject to sanction.

Email sent!

[jayjayjayjay]

THAI SMILE is basically just THAI AIRWAYS with a new livery painted on their aircraft.

90% of the "new" flights are not new, those flights they have just taken over from Thai Air.

You can even earn miles on all domestic routes and fares, and on international routes the THAI ROP-rules apply.

I thinkt they don't know what to do with that useless and unwanted hybrid-model. And yes, they are VERY expensive, just 5% or so less than the regular Thai flights.

they should BURY these THAI SMILES again, and let NOK AIR grow naturally instead. NOK has quite a smart management, not making big waves or headlines, but producing solid financial results quarter by quarter.

Hope they will be flying internationally again one day, to kill the monopoly that expensive AirAsia enjoys on many routes

Problem is that Nok Air management are starting to show TG how to run an airline business. TG no longer have control of Nok, therefor it is a case of "loss of face" for them... Ohhh no, what to do now(sic TG management)? Let's start up another Thai something! Let's call it Thai Smile then we can beat the hell out of AirAsia and Nok... why not, we can use TG planes, staff, agents network, trucks, fueling system, and call use any planes available any day, however, we will not book any salaries against the new airline, so it will look really profitable even if we change only marginally less than TG tickets..... Oh wow, we are such good managers....