National Carrier To Stress Thainess: Thai Airways International's New President

[webfact]

National carrier to stress 'Thainess', says new president

ACHARA DEBOONME

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Thai Airways International's new president Sorajak Kasemsuvan believes weaving "Thainess" into passenger-related areas can set the legacy airline apart from others and put it on the path to profitability.

"I don't care what THAI's ranking will be. During my term, I want it to be one of the most popular airlines, to be the airline that represents Thailand and |the airline that is the best ambassador for Thailand," he said during an interview with Nation chairman Suthichai Yoon last week.

Some cabin crew are now trained to provide the "Thai smile", but Thainess could also be reflected through menus, uniforms and services. Many improvements are on the drawing board.

Taking office in September, he embraced the huge challenge to increase THAI's profitability amid factors squeezing global airlines' profit margins. He recalled the first meeting with all aviation-related state enterprises, when every one of them expected high profits except the national carrier.

The International Air Transport Association forecasts global airline profits in 2012 at US$4.1 billion (about Bt126 billion), less than half of $8.4 billion last year.

In THAI's forecast last month, margins were likely to be 0.6 per cent this year, before rising to 1.1 per cent next year. With 17 new aircraft to be delivered next year, THAI is expected to raise revenue to over Bt220 billion and earn Bt5-6 billion, against a net loss of Bt10 billion in 2011 and net profit of Bt15 billion in 2010.

Amid fierce competition, THAI has been cashing in on "Thainess" to "steal market share" from other airlines. He intends to strengthen the image.

Passengers must feel the quality when boarding a THAI plane. The ambience, greeting, food and services must be of authentic quality.

Inspired by the popularity of Thai food and comments that food served on board tastes different from that in restaurants, the president plans a big change to the menus, particularly for first class.

A customer food board will be set up with big names like chef McDang (ML Sirichalerm Svasti), socialite Rapeepan Luangaramrat (Khun Reed), actor Chakrit Yamnam, who hosts a famous cooking show, and some winning chefs from the "Iron Chef Thailand" show.

They will be invited to give opinions to the five master chefs of THAI, including four foreigners. The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok will be courted to come up a monthly signature dish - main dish or sweets.

"Everybody knows that Thailand is the best in the world when it comes to food. Bringing famous Thais into the scene will help. This could create the best Thai restaurant in the sky," he said.

Uniforms will be restyled, using unique local fabrics. |A team would be dispatched to find suitable and durable fabrics "with a story to tell" - like where they are made, how, and what benefits the local weavers reap from supplying the fabrics to THAI. Then, internationally-acclaimed Thai designer Thakoon Panichgul would be contracted to turn the fabrics into charming uniforms.

Thainess can also echo the nature of society, where every-one is related. THAI's service |can be built on this. All passengers will be "treated like our relatives regardless of their nationalities".

After spotting a shower in Emirates' first class cabin plus a maid who always keeps it clean during an observation flight, Sorajak now plans to introduce Thai traditional massage to |first-class passengers on Airbus A380 flights to main destina-tions like Paris, Frankfurt and London.

The Commerce Ministry will be approached to award "Thai Select" certificates for the top 10 dishes, while some OTOP products will be shown on board and others in the shopping catalogue. Thailand Post would be asked to handle deliveries.

THAI Shops, which may feature quality corporate premiums, will be opened at all major airports in Thailand, while Puff & Pie, the bakery shop, could be rebranded into THAI restaurants.

"They could generate extra income, though small, but they would strengthen Thailand's image," he said.

All the work is plotted, though Sorajak has had numerous meetings to attend, at least two to three per day. He is working on ways to cut down on committees and meetings. He prefers to call executives for discussion in his office, rather than join a big meeting that could end up with no resolution even after four hours.

He does not see the need for wholesale changes in routing plans. More destinations in |Japan would be introduced and frequencies increased, as Japanese, Korean and Chinese operations are all above target. THAI Smile, the budget airline, would spread its wings to more Asean destinations and to southern China.

Daily flights to Los Angeles would be revived and probably also flights to New York City in the hope that increased penetration of the US would bring in more dollar income. Now, most revenue is in the euro and yen, while fuel bills are in dollars. THAI is also eyeing Eastern Europe, where a nouveau rich class is emerging despite the crisis in the eurozone.

Partnerships in the tourism industry, which generates Bt1.48 trillion of annual revenue, are being sought. The flight network could be adjusted according to data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, while Bangkok Airways could be drawn in to join some promotions.

"Rankings are insignificant. A higher ranking is welcomed, but it's not the priority," he added.

-- The Nation 2012-11- 26

[endure]

Here's a clue. I spend 10-12 hours flying to Thailand. I'm a cheapskate. The £200 I save by flying Emirates from my local airport rather than spending 2 hours travelling to LHR to fly Thai will buy me a week's accommodation in Bangkok. I'm happy to forgo 'Thainess' for a few hours if it saves me 200 quid

[chooka]

"Some cabin crew are now trained to provide the "Thai smile",

Does this mean that the Thai Smile doesn't come naturally. Is just another one of these false pirated copies that are common to the Thai way or the Thainess.

[endure]

The problem with 'Thai International's' new president is that he's never had to actually pay for a ticket and line up with the rest of the cattle who fly on Thai's decrepit old fleet. I bet if he had to pay for a ticket then things would improve dramatically...

[pedro01]

Squat toilets, aisle dogs, seat encroachment and grenades lobbed into amart class from prai class....

Sounds great

[apetley]

Here's a clue. I spend 10-12 hours flying to Thailand. I'm a cheapskate. The £200 I save by flying Emirates from my local airport rather than spending 2 hours travelling to LHR to fly Thai will buy me a week's accommodation in Bangkok. I'm happy to forgo 'Thainess' for a few hours if it saves me 200 quid

Go to Skegness, forgo Thainess the whole holiday and save the cost of the entire flight.

[kurnell]

Show a safety in Thailand instruction video with a whole list of scams like the gem scam, jet skis, closed temples, tuk tuks, taxis...

[Moruya]

"Some cabin crew are now trained to provide the "Thai smile",

Does this mean that the Thai Smile doesn't come naturally. Is just another one of these false pirated copies that are common to the Thai way or the Thainess.

The Thai smile comes free at any bar on Sukhumvit

[Thai at Heart]

Does this mean the lighting will be ultra violet and red.

That is what Thainess is to half the world.

[whistleblower]

A hundred years ago in England, tea was served in bone china cups, gentlemen wore suits and tipped their hat to ladies. women were escorted by their men everywhere and at if a woman stood up to excuse herself all the men stood up until she left. These are just a few things that happened. Now in 2012 we generally dont do any of those things (ie our culture has changed)

Thai airways should realise that they are going to shoot themselves in the foot here. Portraying what they say is Thainess to a plane load of tourists (many who have not been to Thailand before) will not really prepare the poor buggers for when they get here.

Thai smile on board - grumpy ignorant customs on the ground.

Polite stewardesses on board - rude taxi/tuk yuk/MC shouting hey you on the ground.

Stewardesses in hand made Thai silk uniforms on board - half the population wearing flip flops/Doraeman tshirts and hello kitty shorts on the ground.

In flight magzine showing pristine beaches on board - dirty polystyrene covered beaches on the ground.

Friendly and pleasant staff on board - money grabbing touts and scam artists on the ground.

The man would get more credit if he lowered the prices and increased the comfortableness of the flight. I really dont care about my beer being served in a Thai cup made out of banana leaf!

When Thgailand wakes up to what it's image is to the rest of the world then it can work on improving those areas. I wonder what the percentage of visitors is for each of these categories:

Sex tourists?

Backpackers?

Golfers?

Family holiday?

Tourists coming for the Thai temple and massage/spa treatments?

Rant over

Good morning everyone!

[asiawatcher]

He leeps addressing the obvious but misses the essential. Old planes, seats that have no butt padding for long flights, headphones that work in one ear only, video screens held in with duct tape (kid you not), old ashtrays in arm rests with tissues in them from some previous snotty passenger, food squashed in the carpet, but then of course we have the check in and baggage handling, ticket pricing for the privilege of travelling in a flying urban bus... let's leave that for another post!

[Thai at Heart]

Value, timeliness, efficiency, cleanliness and service would be enough.

[bigbamboo]

"Some cabin crew are now trained to provide the "Thai smile",

Does this mean that the Thai Smile doesn't come naturally. Is just another one of these false pirated copies that are common to the Thai way or the Thainess.

Haha!.......... great minds think alike!

Not sure why an international airline would only serve local food... especially an essentially spicy cuisine. Not always a great idea in an aeroplane with limited... erm... facilities.

[mrmazinkle]

"Some cabin crew are now trained to provide the "Thai smile",

Does this mean that the Thai Smile doesn't come naturally. Is just another one of these false pirated copies that are common to the Thai way or the Thainess.

Maybe they could introduce a two tier pricing system too....seems crazy to charge rich farang the same price as poor thai people...

[jcw]

How about dropping the fares by 43% to be competitive with Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific on departures from Thailand you twit.

[noitom]

It seems like Thainess and a lack of consciousness about marketing and service has run this dinosaur airline into the ground. This is a wacko set of priorities. Thais leader should be focusing on cutting costs such as the layers of fat in management. Particularly the retired military and their payrolls. Those who never show up for any real work.

The improvement of service, on time factors, reduction of checkin times, airport facilities, better rewards points systems and more efficient service oriented training should be higher up the priority food chain than this "Thainess" thing, whatever that is supposed to be. Maybe someday, some editor who doesn't ramble around and log in with tripe, can offer a reasonable explanation of "Thainess."

[Thai at Heart]

It seems like Thainess and a lack of consciousness about marketing and service has run this dinosaur airline into the ground. This is a wacko set of priorities. Thais leader should be focusing on cutting costs such as the layers of fat in management. Particularly the retired military and their payrolls. Those who never show up for any real work.

The improvement of service, on time factors, reduction of checkin times, airport facilities, better rewards points systems and more efficient service oriented training should be higher up the priority food chain than this "Thainess" thing, whatever that is supposed to be. Maybe someday, some editor who doesn't ramble around and log in with tripe, can offer a reasonable explanation of "Thainess."

The pooyai has spoken and no one will disagree. Get it.

[softgeorge]

What exactly is Thainess apart from a name with ness attached to it?

[Misterwhisper]

How about putting some toilet boys in the lavatories, who massage your neck and/or slap an (unwanted) wet towel on your neck?

I think that entire "Thainess" babble is over-rated, a myth, something that even the babbler himself would be hard pressed to explain. What exactly is "Thainess"?

An airline passenger, one who travels often and long distances, doesn't care for all that crap. They want a modern plane with modern amenities and comforable seats, a choice of food (not eveyone likes Thai food or can stomach it), timely departures and arrivals, friendly and courteous cabin crew (and not staff that has been "trained to smile"), as little hassle as possible during check-in, and most importantly, reasonable ticket prices that are not 30 or 40 per cent above that of the competition.

Nobody gives a rat's ass whether the cabin crew's uniforms are made of "unique" local fabrics and whether they have "a story to tell" or not.

[noitom]

What exactly is Thainess apart from a name with ness attached to it?

Very good find.

[kurtgruen]

We flew Air Asia, to Denpasar, via Kuala Lampur, last month. What a horrible experience, from booking to travel, it wasn't worth saving the few dollars. I much prefer Thai Air, where we always get good service, food, beer, etc. and my flight with Thai Air, has always been pleasant. Then again, I have only been flying Thai Air, in the Region, not back to Canada. For that trip, I use Korean Airlines, which has done a lot, in recent years, to improve it's service, planes and food. Plus, we can fly Korean out of Chiang Mai, without having to stop in Bangkok, which is great. Both my wife and I, avoid Bangkok any way we can.

Thai Air, has been one of the few airlines, we will fly, even so, they are a little bit pricier. Normally, we like to save money, too, but we have been impressed with the level of service, Thai Air provides. We are also tired of the manipulative games, Air Asia plays with it's passengers. Air Asia's online booking system is very misleading and it often took several attempts to get the booking wanted. After this recent trip to Bali, we finally said "No more Air Asia".

On the other hand, Thai Air's booking system is simple and when you do need personal help, they are easy to reach by phone.

[zakk9]

"Some cabin crew are now trained to provide the "Thai smile",

Does this mean that the Thai Smile doesn't come naturally. Is just another one of these false pirated copies that are common to the Thai way or the Thainess.

Maybe they could introduce a two tier pricing system too....seems crazy to charge rich farang the same price as poor thai people...

They already do that in some European countries. Thais living in those countries get special, lower prices when they visit Thailand, or at least that was the case a few years ago.

[LuckyLew]

They should just declare bankrupty

Close down the shop

Sell the name rights to a private company

Who will then operate the Thai Airways as a ligitamate

well run, viable business.

No kickbacks .... no perks .... no bribes ...

Am I deaming ... This is Thailand

Land of scams and schams

[Payboy]

Can't wait to hear "Welcome Aboard Hansum Man".

[Payboy]

Value, timeliness, efficiency, cleanliness and service would be enough.

Where does Thainess come into the picture?

[End]

After spotting a shower in Emirates' first class cabin plus a maid who always keeps it clean during an observation flight, Sorajak now plans to introduce Thai traditional massage to |first-class passengers on Airbus A380 flights to main destina-tions like Paris, Frankfurt and London.

So the massage will include a thai style happy ending?

Edited November 26, 2012 by End

[sungod]

Off to Singapore tomorrow, Singapore airlines were 4,500 THB cheaper than Thai!

Edited November 26, 2012 by sungod

[patongphil]

We flew Air Asia, to Denpasar, via Kuala Lampur, last month. What a horrible experience, from booking to travel, it wasn't worth saving the few dollars. I much prefer Thai Air, where we always get good service, food, beer, etc. and my flight with Thai Air, has always been pleasant. Then again, I have only been flying Thai Air, in the Region, not back to Canada. For that trip, I use Korean Airlines, which has done a lot, in recent years, to improve it's service, planes and food. Plus, we can fly Korean out of Chiang Mai, without having to stop in Bangkok, which is great. Both my wife and I, avoid Bangkok any way we can.

Thai Air, has been one of the few airlines, we will fly, even so, they are a little bit pricier. Normally, we like to save money, too, but we have been impressed with the level of service, Thai Air provides. We are also tired of the manipulative games, Air Asia plays with it's passengers. Air Asia's online booking system is very misleading and it often took several attempts to get the booking wanted. After this recent trip to Bali, we finally said "No more Air Asia".

On the other hand, Thai Air's booking system is simple and when you do need personal help, they are easy to reach by phone.

You obviously live on a different planet to me!!!

[steelepulse]

>>After spotting a shower in Emirates' first class cabin plus a maid who always keeps it clean during an observation flight.

Was he doing a cabin inspection of Emirates, or was he on a free first class Emirates "fact finding mssion" compliments of Thai Air and taxpayers?

[softgeorge]

"Some cabin crew are now trained to provide the "Thai smile",

Does this mean that the Thai Smile doesn't come naturally. Is just another one of these false pirated copies that are common to the Thai way or the Thainess.

Maybe they could introduce a two tier pricing system too....seems crazy to charge rich farang the same price as poor thai people...

They already do that in some European countries. Thais living in those countries get special, lower prices when they visit Thailand, or at least that was the case a few years ago.

Same for thais when flying abroad, if they go into the Thai office and book a flight they get a 20% discount with thier I.D card. My wife does it when my son and wife fly with me to Aust. Thier fares are cheaper than mine.

Edited November 26, 2012 by softgeorge