Thai Airways explains clients and ticket sale agents of martial law declaration

BANGKOK, 21 May 2014 (NNT) – Thai Airways has moved rapidly to explain to clients and ticket sales agents, the reality of the declaration of martial law, after Australia and New Zealand raised their warnings on travel to Thailand, to the highest level.

Mr. Chokchai Panyayong, the Acting President of Thai Airways said that embassies in other countries have to be informed of the actual situation in Thailand, consistent with the intention of the Peace and Order Maintaining Command (POMC) which just wants to increase overall security in the country, after Australia and New Zealand raised their travel advisory to Thailand to the highest level while other countries maintained their regular warning.

Overall bookings have performed normally with all regular flights continuing .

Meanwhile the company has advised agents in every country to fully inform clients, especially those with forward bookings, of the secure situation in Thailand.

-- NNT 2014-05-21

Well, good. Just a few days after the reports of strike action and possible particiaption of Thai staff in the hounding of govt ministers...now all is fine. I'm sure that's going to fly.

The facts in this article are WRONG! Australia has NOT increased its level of travel advisory notice for Thailand. This remains at exactly the same level as before martial law was decreed & sits at level 2 out of 4, which is "Exercise a high degree of caution". The travel advisory notice for the troubled southern areas of Yala, Pattani & Narathiwat also remains unchanged at the top tier "Do not travel" level. See www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Thailand

Edited May 21, 201412 yr by iang

why to instructed the staff, only need to know that now the country is in hands of the good ones

Perhaps the government needs to safeguard the position of visitors whose travel insurance may be invalidated. Suspending tourist visa fees might also be a good move.

The most important question that travellers should ask is of insurance, there are a lot of insurance companies who will not cover an individual travelling to a country that is under martial law.

Business as usual. A hand-grenade here & there. A few dozens dead and a few hundred injured. Down South same thing ten-fold. Any other tourist country in the world would feel the pinch and the world would condemn it. Not here in Thailand. Tons of diplomatic empty rhetoric from all sides. Much of it becoming more and more ridiculous. Plenty of defenders, what can not be defended. MS>

"Overall bookings have performed normally with all regular flights continuing"

no improvement then.....

Business as usual. A hand-grenade here & there. A few dozens dead and a few hundred injured. Down South same thing ten-fold. Any other tourist country in the world would feel the pinch and the world would condemn it. Not here in Thailand. Tons of diplomatic empty rhetoric from all sides. Much of it becoming more and more ridiculous. Plenty of defenders, what can not be defended. MS>

It is NOT business as usual. I have friends coming from and to Australia monthly. There is loads more space on the planes than there has ever been and same comparison to last year. Thai cut many flights to Europe a few months back. The TAT figures are obviously from DisneyWorld because all hotels in BKK are running way below 20% occupancy unless you survey a 6 room backpackers in Khao San Road. they may have 50% occupancy at 3 rooms!

In Chiang Mai hotels are down to ZERO or 15%. Many Guest Houses are Empty.

So not business as usual. Australia and New Zealand are IMPORTANT markets to Thailand. 60% of Phuket tourism year round is from there and as a comparison Thai has 11 flights a day from Europe to Thailand and most half full / empty however you call it.

8 flights each and every day from Australia alone and Australia only has a fraction of the people Europe has. So weigh that up and Thai are Sh...T scared of losing THAT market!

It is important for reference to travel insurance.

He can say what he likes about business as usual, but if insurances won't pay under martial law, he can whistle Dixie.

TG don't care about customers - their Union was prepared to go on strike next week, and the Management said they would allow 15,000 employees to "take leave" simultaneously, which is unheard of.

Business as usual. A hand-grenade here & there. A few dozens dead and a few hundred injured. Down South same thing ten-fold. Any other tourist country in the world would feel the pinch and the world would condemn it. Not here in Thailand. Tons of diplomatic empty rhetoric from all sides. Much of it becoming more and more ridiculous. Plenty of defenders, what can not be defended. MS>

Difficult to defend against your BS.

Business as usual. A hand-grenade here & there. A few dozens dead and a few hundred injured. Down South same thing ten-fold. Any other tourist country in the world would feel the pinch and the world would condemn it. Not here in Thailand. Tons of diplomatic empty rhetoric from all sides. Much of it becoming more and more ridiculous. Plenty of defenders, what can not be defended. MS>

It is NOT business as usual. I have friends coming from and to Australia monthly. There is loads more space on the planes than there has ever been and same comparison to last year. Thai cut many flights to Europe a few months back. The TAT figures are obviously from DisneyWorld because all hotels in BKK are running way below 20% occupancy unless you survey a 6 room backpackers in Khao San Road. they may have 50% occupancy at 3 rooms!

In Chiang Mai hotels are down to ZERO or 15%. Many Guest Houses are Empty.

So not business as usual. Australia and New Zealand are IMPORTANT markets to Thailand. 60% of Phuket tourism year round is from there and as a comparison Thai has 11 flights a day from Europe to Thailand and most half full / empty however you call it.

8 flights each and every day from Australia alone and Australia only has a fraction of the people Europe has. So weigh that up and Thai are Sh...T scared of losing THAT market!

So you mean to tell me that all of those Ferang I saw wandering around CNX last night,are Sleeping On The Street?

Where, pray tell do you get your invaluable information?

The tg owners, menagement and most employees do actively support yellows now, as they did in 2008 airports shutdown. Passengers, èven those transfering through bkk, will think twice, before making any booking. The situation might deteriorate rapidly, so advanced bookings, many months ahead, will suffer the most. Same would be with family holidays, seniors, who do prefer certainty of travel plans over the price.

There would be tourists coming, because thailand is centraly located in the se asia, but they would transit to neighbouring coutries, rather than relying exclusively on thailand.

He's the "acting" head. Everyone in Thailand is "acting." He's also saying that the reason for martial law is "just" to ensure security. So this "acting" head of the airline wants to assure the foreign embassies that they know it is as he says - "just" a security procedure.

Due to polictical protests and martial Law Thai airways will be letting it's emplyee's take a few days off, Mangement says there is no strike, Also they hired several people to go around and cover Thai airways logo's In a face saving act.

Did they explain that we are NOT giving flyers their money back , will charge you to change dates, etc etc

Service with a Smile