Etihad (UAE) to launch service from Abu Dhabi to Phuket on 26 October 2014 with A330-200.

That'll be much better than the current Air Berlin set up

Yup enjoy a nice flight. Before you get to your destination and the russians f*** it up.

With the Etihad flights, Emirates flights and Qatar flights to Phuket you can actually use them as cheaper way to Koh Samui. Example get a good fare to Phuket with Emirates and then use one of the Bangkok airways Phuket Samui flights. Depending how you book it you can get checked all the way through. This routing can work well when the bangkok Samui flights are full or very busy like Xmas new year time.

As long expected ... its a no-brainer ... saves the BKK-HKT cost/time.

Now I'm just waiting for the first Gulf-based airline to notice, that Thailand has a third major tourist-destination, up here in Chiang Mai ! Pretty Please !

Chiang mai demand is a lot smaller than BKK or HKT so it may never happen. But if it did I would say Qatar may do it 3 or 4 times a week with A319 as they did with Rangoon . I am guessing if the A319 can make it to RGN it can do a few more miles to CNX. You would pay a slightly premium price for the convenience like they do on their Goa flights. I doubt Emirates will do it as they have no small aircraft.

Chiang mai demand is a lot smaller than BKK or HKT so it may never happen. But if it did I would say Qatar may do it 3 or 4 times a week with A319 as they did with Rangoon . I am guessing if the A319 can make it to RGN it can do a few more miles to CNX. You would pay a slightly premium price for the convenience like they do on their Goa flights. I doubt Emirates will do it as they have no small aircraft.

The smaller aircrafts are with flydubai: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flydubai