Debt-ridden Thai Airways to 'cut 5,000 staff'

[paz]

I would not be surprised if THAI would be grounded in the nearer future and passengers will be stranded all over the world.

That show that you don't know much about the airline industry. First, THAI has only recently entered the negative side of balances, then, state-founded airlines can run at a loss for as many years the government decides it's needed to keep them. E.g Aerolonies Argentinas, nationalized due to huge losses in 2008, made bigger losses every year since then.

[noitom]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Fire employees if you need to, but starting with a nominal third of Board-level hangers-on, and ban all free-flights for anybody-at-all !

Thai board level "hangers on" are a cultural phenomenon of Thailand. Largely ex military their photos adorn the walls of Thai board rooms an hallways. They frequently appear in the annual reports and operations management as well.

[Cow San Load]

perhaps they could sue suthep (and the democats) for damages?

[noitom]

It's more than 20% of their workforce.

[Scarpolo]

the real problem is this is a systemic issue in Thailand, and this is just the first company forced to report losses,

more are coming across the entire travel sector,

watch out below, as many cars are returned and hiomes default,

thailand is circling the drain

[metisdead]

A post that messed up the formatting of this page has been removed.

[heybuz]

All these Educated, English-speaking Thai staff, now out of job?. Such a waste of high-end talent!

last time i flew thai air, i and the two people beside me couldn't understand a word of the so called english

[ezzra]

please start with all the old, mummified looking, over the hill flight attended, who would be more comfortable

in a retirement home....

[Barney R]

I guess Suthep will now award himself a golden whistle for nearly bankrupting the national airline.

He is the only Thai that is a bigger loser than Abhisit.

Well done!

Peanut.

Where have you been the last 10 years ???????? This is about mismanagement you idiot nothing to do with the current political situation . I guess you got paid for trolling .

[gerry123]

How long before the inflight meal is reduced to 1 banana per passenger?

i like monkey jokes

[Lupatria]

Let the TAT run the flying circus and blame evil spirits for everything that follows.

[overherebc]

Encouraging people to resign,!

Does that mean the severance package won't be as big as the legal entitlement ?

[Ricardo]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Fire employees if you need to, but starting with a nominal third of Board-level hangers-on, and ban all free-flights for anybody-at-all !

Thai board level "hangers on" are a cultural phenomenon of Thailand. Largely ex military their photos adorn the walls of Thai board rooms an hallways. They frequently appear in the annual reports and operations management as well.

Ex-military, ex-police, ex-civil-service, ex-politicians, and their cultural right to freebies is dragging-down the airline, and doesn't help the other companies, when they go international.

Thailand is a major tourist-destination, with a peak-season in the northern-winter, so leasing-in extra-capacity is cheap, it ought to be virtually impossible for Thai Airways to run at-a-loss, but these bozos somehow manage to accomplish the impossible.

As a farang now living here, I'd love to continue to use the national-carrier, but every time I find a reasonable alternative charging half their prices, I have to vote with my wallet. I know very few farangs who remain loyal to TG, once they move to live here, and that's sad.

Sooner or later I believe/hope that reality will catch-up with Thainess, especially in this era of increasing globalisation, but they're certainly fighting a sterling rearguard-action.

[Danbit]

I fly Thai often, good service.

They can earn more, they could sell the empty business at check-in to a reduces price with food from econimy.. Pure profit.

I meet some police, military flying for free - why - they are well paid and can afford to pay. Some airline staff too but let all pay additional if business and premium economy. Free ticket for those who fly often and paid with miles.

When high ranking staff are sacked they get a office keep their staff and do nothing close that system.

Thai need some staff at the telephones I often get a machin speaking too fast for me to understand, so I normally call Thai in Copenhagen, no machine and higher paid staff, but they can do as much as they can in Bangkok - so keep some people in Bangkok, who can talk in the telephones and help customers.

Next trip is to TPE with EVA Air, why - they offer a few Business Class seats to a low price, they know, they can´t sell all of them so better get some additional profit. Next again with EVA to Amsterdam, they have a good price for Premium Economy. Business Class to Scandinavia is best with FinnAir but I am a frequent flyer at Thai and they have the best program, second to none.

Edited April 23, 2014 by metisdead
Font

[Ulic]

Of course you need to get rid of the chaff so to speak but how did the airline get to such a state. 5000 is a big

number for a not so big airline. The cuts have to start with top management who made all the disastrous decisions

that led them to the position they are in, not the rank and file.

[JoeThePoster]

It's more than 20% of their workforce.

Hope it's not the working 20%.

[JesseFrank]

How long before the inflight meal is reduced to 1 banana per passenger?

I would rather opt for 1 banana per stewardess.

[Cow San Load]

I guess Suthep will now award himself a golden whistle for nearly bankrupting the national airline.

He is the only Thai that is a bigger loser than Abhisit.

Well done!

Peanut.

Nope. This situation has been a long time in coming.

yes theyve had issues for a while which they may have been able to continue to carry but suthep was the Coup de grâce for the airline staff . no amount of derailed trains could solve that suthep issue.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Cow San Load

[tubby johnson]

Get rid of the phantom staff who are on the payroll but never turn up for work.

[trainman34014]

I hope they sink under all that black paint they've got stored in case of mishaps. I guess the 'painting crew' will be kept on though as the ultimate 'face savers' !

[arminbkk]

My Thai colleague is married to someone working at THAI.

Don't know what exactly he does there, would think lower management.

She, and her husband, flew for free to Japan few weeks ago.

And back.

And return flight to Europe at large discount last year.

[godden]

It seems as if Thai Air and TAT are not reading from the same page.

[fvw53]

I was a Gold Car member on TG for 20 years but two years ago I stopped flying with them.

Do you think TG made an enquiry although I still had 40.000 non used mileage for upgrading etc...nobody seemed to care...

As far as I can remember the sliding down of TG started when they finished their cooperation with SAS...from that moment there was no longer a outsider looking on the fingers of the management and the staff.

[outsider]

I frequently fly the BKK-KUL sector and for the past few years, have flown mainly with Malaysia Airlines or Lufthansa. Air Asia only if I really have no choice and am desperate. Only flown THAI a few times and those were on 'corporate expenses'. Left to my own, I'd rather postpone my trip than fly THAI. It's so expensive it doesn't make sense.

[DualSportBiker]

On a flight from Zurich to Bkk in 2009 in business class, the seat next to me was occupied by a crew member. They were over-staffed so she got the easy ride home. When I asked her why none of the numerous Gold Card paying passengers in economy were not upgraded, she could give no good answer. Thai airways is not there to look after its paying customers, it is a club to look after its own.

There was a rumour that in the 90s at least 30% of their staff had never checked in to an office; they were all nominal positions to qualify for free flights. If 5,000 does equate to 20%, there might have been some truth to it...

Sent - how is not that important...

[meatboy]

me and the wife have flown with thai for over 25yrs.and I can recall only twice when they weren't full,the gulf war,and 2005 from heathrow otherwise they were always full and cannot remember having a discounted flight.last time was 2009 full.

who was their accountant.

[Cow San Load]

i guess they figure if all the peasants can get free train and bus rides, the snot class deserve free plane rides too

[The Deerhunter]

I guess Suthep will now award himself a golden whistle for nearly bankrupting the national airline.

He is the only Thai that is a bigger loser than Abhisit.

Well done!

Peanut.

Please explain why he is to blame and not all the free flights & upgrades for PTP party faithful.

[Thai at Heart]

At the end of the day, it isn't rocket science. Thailand has an enormous tourist industry and one dominant home grown player, but they have killed the goose by taking their eye off the ball.

Something is very wrong when, paying wages to a Thai level means that you can't compete with global competition. The whole thing just appears as though the company has been sucked dry.

[Sydebolle]

Thai is like a 7/11 or Foodland without check-out counter. Everyone helps themselves. Staff wander around on ground and en route with a very arrogant, too self-confident manner. The customer defines choice, satisfaction, repeating business etc. - no rocket science there.

Tariffing is another thing. Look at Finnair's offer to Europe for THB 27'000 - THB 30'000; same on Air France. Thai Airways with partly ageing fleet, expensive unionised staff and completely over saturated management charges close to double that.

I've stopped flying TG many, many years ago; my family and me would have generated more than one million Baht on airfares during this time span which was spent elsewhere.
Reason were the following incidents over a time span of four months. That three out of four passengers to Zurich and back we confirmed, the 3-year old child not. A flight out of Zurich got cancelled = had to help myself. Twice the suitcase never made it (against a poor compensation by the kilo), a dripping air-condition on the upper (business class) deck of a completely full vintage 747 from Bangkok to Beijing did the rest.

Darwin taught already that evolution means ongoing adjustments to the changes!