Thai govt wants to raise fares of 'low-cost' airlines

[johndudorn]

Perhaps the owner of the bus companies should lower their prices to become competitive.

My thoughts exactly! Capitalism at its best....

[Soi Sauce]

Why not ask the Gov. to ban cars, so all must travel by bus?

Also ban Amazon Coffee, coz it's better and cheaper than starbux, and motorbike taxis coz they're cheaper and quicker than regular taxis, and street food vendors, coz they are cheaper, and their food tastes better, than the crap u get in shopping malls.

At the same time, please, ask all Gov. employees to take a cut in salary.

Not hard to work out why on the reasoning of the OP.

[Old Man River]

Junta is backward thinking and totally out of step on this one. As mentioned, if bus companies are hurting due to other forms of travel, smarten up, get your act together and offer a good service. And I posit it's not just the price either. People are simply fed up of doing 12-hour+ journeys to the capital when they could get there in an hour. This goes for government employees, too, who's supervisors would send them on a bus or train... but now their budgets can allow them to fly and thus be more productive.

It is 2015, junta, not 1815. Get with it! Buses are a short-haul idea in this century, flying is the way forwards, or is it that you would just prefer to keep your people down? pffft!

Dave, this was only a request. I highly doubt it would ever be made mandatory given the Thai Gov't will soon be building a major competitor to long haul bus transportation via the dual rail train lines which ultimately will connect several major cities.

[jabis]

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So, AirAsia can run an airline cheaper than the Thais can run a bus route?

Maybe Thai Airways could lower prices and run domestic routes and run these bandits off?

Travelling by bus can be very expensive in Thailand! ( not only expensive but " bloody dangerous " ) I don't understand why the Thais are obsessed with travelling by bus and minivan ! Flying is far better or even better is to travel by train ( Bangkok to Chiang Mai from only 275 baht ) unfortunately many Thais have never been educated to use " The trains " ( of course in most of Europe it can be one of the most expensive ways to travel)

I only travel by train! and it's seriously cool ....

F.J x

Canary, we all know how much you love the trains and more power to you (and SRT) but the railway doesn't go everywhere. At some point a person on a train has to get a bus to get to their small town. Many of these buses run a set route often to Nakhon Nowhere and thus their popularity. You can take a train to Nong Khai but not Nakhon Phanom.

People with a time schedule and the access to an airport will always take the airline over the bus and the train.

I enjoyed our train trips, now we drive, but upcountry driving is generally safer than driving in cities.

Bangkok to CM may only be B275, but look at the time it takes. Great for you and those with time to kill but not convenient for many others. For tourists train travel is a cultural experience where they can wander from car to car and see Thai life from a different perspective.

The trains were there before the buses and the airlines, so Thais don't need to be educated to ride trains, those that do generally are unable to afford the bus or airfare.

When Thailand gets its first standard gauge fast and frequent trains, maybe we will see a resurgence of railway usage, but for now its ON THE BUSES.

Hello!

Yes i agree with your " kind words " oh and i am also a huge " On The Buses " fan ( i have them all on DVD ...) But remember that the Thais don't seem to see the danger of the roads! The great things why i would always choose a train is because.The scenery and views is so much nicer.Its never about getting from A to B as quick as possible ( even if i was working...) its about the most " enjoyable way to travel " I hate the roads and in fact i am terrified to actually go near a motorway! ( " hideous things " ) I am also very tall 1.90 M and so travelling in a 3rd class carriage gives you so much more legroom and so much more comfortable! Also i hate Air Con ! i prefer a natural warm breeze.I find air con very uncomfortable! ( " hideous " ) Also you can eat on the train with various sellers wandering through the carriages.The other thing is that the trains are so much more sociable so you can meet and chat to lots of nice people " enroute " Its the way i love to travel ! and also the added bonus to travelling by train is in 3rd class you can sunbathe at the same time,i rather enjoy catching the " sun on my legs " whilst being in motion.........( perhaps you can admire my honesty viewers...)

I have always been very different from most people but i have always accepted that.But too many people are always in a rush to get fro A to B so for me it's the " fun that you have travelling is the most important thing " ( 12 hours sat on a bus in a reclining VIP seat in air con would " bore the hell out of me " ........) Each to our own i guess...............

F.J

Nothing against your reasoning, but if you need to travel to a certain point in a certain timeframe - one rarely takes the long way around.

Let's make an example out of your preferred cities - from Bangkok to Chiang Mai;

- Airplane: 1h 15m

- Car: 8h 15m

- Bus: 13h 30min - 15h 30min

- Train:12h

Should I have the time I'd select train, should I not (as usually the case) I'd go with the plane. Each to their own preference

Edited January 9, 2015 by jabis

[Bakeman]

One word "GREED".......

[bangon04]

Protectionism - a cornerstone of Thai Happiness...

[baboon]

I wonder if any of these business would take part in a TV series of Undercover Boss Thailand. Bet it would make great viewing.

Perhaps this bus lady could be the first.

Now your post deserves a thread by itself...

[Tokay]

Just when you think they can not out-dumb themselves once again.

They need to stay out of the way of the free market and let it work. If the bus companies can't compete, sorry about their luck. They should focus on trying to keep them on the road before worrying about the airlines stealing some customers.

[zaZa9]

Im sure they mean WITHIN Thailand.

They still want low cost airlines to deliver TO Thailand .

[Mojomor]

Please relax. It's all about soundbites. The Government just has to sound good. It doesn't need to do anything.

[GOLDBUGGY]

If they can get me their in comfort and in an hour, verses an Over-night Bus where your legs are cramped and the bathroom smells to the High Heaven then that a a Good thing. Not Bad!

They should encourage this sort of thing, not penalize it.

Seems to me it is the bus companies that need to lower their price, and not the airlines. ,

[Suriya4]

Totally crazy and shows the mentality of Thais and competition.

This is to make Thai people (bus drivers) happy.

[Blindside]

Many other 3rd world countries are encouraging capacity for people to be able to fly cheaply. Its the long view.

&lt;deleted&gt; joke.

[silent]

Terribly confusing jungle drums. I missed the beating about Thai Airways in something I thought was about buses vs. cheaper air flights. It must be my Thai.

So, AirAsia can run an airline cheaper than the Thais can run a bus route?

Maybe Thai Airways could lower prices and run domestic routes and run these bandits off?

Thai Airways flies to fewer domestic destinations than ever before, seems like they have almost abandoned the country. And even with THAI Smile, they don't have any strategy to fly to these smaller cities, some of which the mainline THAI carrier used to fly to, including Phitsanulok, Lampang, Phetchabun, Nan, Mae Hong Son, Sakorn Nakorn, Nakorn Sri Thammarat, Narathiwat and others. And that's just linking Bangkok with each of these cities. I have never heard of any links planned by THAI between secondary cities such as Chiang Mai, Udon Thani etc. which is something that even Air Asia has managed to do in the meantime.

It's THAI Airways fault for abandoning these routes and basically selling themselves out to the low cost competition.

[Nalo56]

Amazing Thailand, surprises every day.... Wonder want is next decision mmmmmmmm

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[gosompoi]

In other words, raise your prices so your customers will stop using you and force your customers to use your competition.

[hawker9000]

Such an ignorant claim (either that or an outright deception). Suchinda obviously ignores the fees, taxes & addons that usually just about double (or more) one of these budget airfares. Just the usual non-thought through, outrageous proposals.

[ronthai]

Guess somebody is on somebodies payroll, as usual.

Minister of Transport, Air Chief Marshal Prajin Janthong

[Camelot]

When will falling fuel costs be reflected in the fares Suchinda charges for her buses?

Don't hold your breath.

[diehard60]

AH the gov needs mre money in his pocket.

[Broeno]

i also would cry like Suchinda Cherdchai if a aircompany brings passengers cheaper than i can do by bus.

Put her on a bus and bring her to the endstation.

[spidermike007]

This woman owns a factory that manufactures 800 buses a year. Plus several bus companies. Her earnings are in the billions of baht per year. My heart bleeds for her. Rather than improve her service, equipment or routes she wants to stymie the competition. And the minister she approached did not have the good sense to just kick her out onto the streets. Oh, I forgot, her money makes her an elite. One of their own. He could not say no to one of his own.

Thankfully, this appears to be only wishful thinking on the part of several numnuts and the airline industry is a competitive one, in a free market.

Sometimes the powers that be simply have to be ignored, when they start demonstrating this level of ignorance.

[Friendly Stranger]

Think before opening mouth. Will the next thing be "We want more international investors!"?

Not if they're celebrating with north Korea.

[bheard]

I don't believe this. Government intervention in a free market? I don't blame travellers who want to travel by air as opposed to the dangerous accident prone busses on Thai roads.

Agree totally. I imagine Suchinda slipped a nice fat envelope to him to get him to even consider this outrage! And for him to actually make the (reported) statement - it's definitely beyond belief.

Did he suggest to Suchinda that first she has to match the safety record of airlines? (ok, asian airlines have been getting bad press lately because of the odd problem, but if I'm to be inside a metal and glass tube to get somewhere then please let it be a plane!).

[h90]

how about lowering the bus prices?

[Mosha]

Give me a break. Is it April 1st already?

Every day.

[mango66]

I would petit bus tickets must be cheaper than air tickets !!

[fullcave]

The highways are run down, filled with traffic lights, overloaded trucks/ pickups, congestion and the bus companies have a deplorable safety record. The answer is to raise domestic air fares.

[Bung]

It would be a great day in this country if all buses were crushed for scrap and everyone could afford air transport. I get tired of seeing busses in the ditches on their sides every time I take a long drive.

[mikemac]

This woman owns a factory that manufactures 800 buses a year. Plus several bus companies. Her earnings are in the billions of baht per year. My heart bleeds for her. Rather than improve her service, equipment or routes she wants to stymie the competition. And the minister she approached did not have the good sense to just kick her out onto the streets. Oh, I forgot, her money makes her an elite. One of their own. He could not say no to one of his own.

Thankfully, this appears to be only wishful thinking on the part of several numnuts and the airline industry is a competitive one, in a free market.

Sometimes the powers that be simply have to be ignored, when they start demonstrating this level of ignorance.

While we are on the subject of "elites" would you mind explaining to me how one would become an elite ?

If it is all about money and power do the Shins qualify ?

I looked up the description of the word in an online dictionary and part of it read - "In general, elite means the more capable group of people. The selected part of a group that is superior to the rest in terms of ability or qualities."..............................................I cannot see too many on either side of the political fence who would fit that description, neither red, yellow or orange. Especially the Shins, considering their track record, complete disregard for the law, incompetence, criminal history etc.