233 Thais stranded at Don Mueang Airport

[NongKhaiKid]

So, what about the OTHER Thai charter flights to Japan??? Presumably, there have been at least some other charters scheduled out of DM to Japan since the early Sat debacle. Anyone heard or seen anything about whether those have departed, or likewise are getting held?

I see the BKK Post website has an article from yesterday saying there were 3 Japan flights out of DM that got scrubbed -- two from Asian Air and another from NokScoot. And a Thai DCA official claiming the reason was the airlines failed to get their "safety inspection reports" to the Japanese CAB far enough ahead of those flights.

No mention at all in that article about Korea...which if I recall right still has its ban in place.

Just a thought, what's the possibility that no more chances will be taken and that flights will be cancelled quickly and quietly to avoid any more adverse publicity?

The Thais playing around won't have gone unnoticed around the region and if the situation is misrepresented with unauthorised statements on behalf of other countries things can only get very much worse.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

AFAICS, Asian Air has absolutely nothing on their website about this, and their website has schedule info that's only dated for Dec and Jan.

http://www.asianair.co.th/index.php

However, they also have a Facebook page that appears to have two company letters in Thai posted, I'm guessing on the current problem.

https://www.facebook.com/flyasianair?ref=hl

BTW, likewise, no mention in yesterday's BKK Post article of what's going to happen with the subsequent Thai-originating charter flights to Japan, like for today, tomorrow, this week, etc etc. Not a word!

You kind of have to wonder, given that Thailand is now officially into the Song Kran holiday, just how much work/progress anyone in the Thai end of things is likely to be doing right about now.

BTW, NokScoot also has Thai language letters posted about the cancellation on their Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/nokscoot

They seem to be talking about planning to reschedule the canceled flight/trip for later in this month (April 23-27). But using Google Translate, I can't tell if they're giving any guidance about other flights in the coming days.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Interesting....

Right now, if you go to the NokScoot webpage and try to book a flight out of DM, the only outbound destination that shows as available is Nanjing, China... nothing for Japan or Korea in terms of flights -- even though their website is chocked full of promo stuff about the wonders of traveling to those countries.

I'm guessing, that's because from what I can read, they seem to be both an existing charter flights operator and were trying to also become a scheduled regular airline operator to both Japan and Korea. But it sounds like for now, their plans for regular scheduled flights to both of those countries (as opposed to charter flights contracted separately) are on hold. So that's probably why only the Nanjing destination shows up as bookable as a commercial flight from their website.

http://www.nokscoot.com/en/

Likewise, NokScoot's website has a page for news releases in English, which hasn't had any info posted to it since last December.

http://www.nokscoot.com/en/media-centre

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Re NokScoot and Korea -- their plans to fly scheduled commercial flights there starting in May suspended, and advance ticket sales halted.

http://www.nokscoot.com/Refund/refund-en.html

For Japan, the company's last status update was dated April 8, and said for Japan charter flights from April 10 and beyond, they are trying "to provide alternate flights where possible. More information will be made available when the flight is confirmed."

Nothing from them on future Japan flights since then, that I can find.

http://www.nokscoot.com/images/announce/JP-charter5_en.pdf

BTW, there is a separate webpage on the NokScoot website where they are posting updates in English on the entire ICAO/Thai DCA situation, but nothing new there since April 8.

http://www.nokscoot.com/en/announcement-en

[Prbkk]

It should ave been possible to get those people on other flights. TG has scheduled flights on that sector. Why wouldn't the airline negotiate seats with Thai, or even an extra flight. The goodwill for both parties would have been great rather than the PR disaster this has turned out to be.

[BritTim]

It should ave been possible to get those people on other flights. TG has scheduled flights on that sector. Why wouldn't the airline negotiate seats with Thai, or even an extra flight. The goodwill for both parties would have been great rather than the PR disaster this has turned out to be.

Just a guess: perhaps the airline assumed they would be able to do this, and that was why they did not stop the passengers coming to the airport. It being Songkran, Thai was fully booked and had no spare crews/equipment for a supplementary charter. Thus, negotiations on this fell through.

[Commander Tamson]

It should ave been possible to get those people on other flights. TG has scheduled flights on that sector. Why wouldn't the airline negotiate seats with Thai, or even an extra flight. The goodwill for both parties would have been great rather than the PR disaster this has turned out to be.

Personally I often wonder if Thais in general and the likes of TAT and all the fairy-tale based other agencies and government departments give a toss about PR outside of Thailand. We all know that Thainess is really all about internal propaganda to the ill-educated masses. In essence Thailand is the worlds' greatest country with by far the worlds' best educated population and, in fact, their biggest export virtually amounts to a brain drain. Hence the problems now being faced by the Junta in Trying to govern the country - all the clever Thais capable of running the country are building spaceships for the Americans or sorting out the rest of the worlds' financial woes in London's, Singapore's or New York's CBDs. Particularly with the financial regulators

Hey - I could almost start believing that myself.

As for the current flight problems - staff training and Company PR would go a long way. I flew into DMK from Singapore by Thai AirAsia on Friday afternoon then a 3 hour wait there for a NOK Air flight to Ubon. The airport was Mobbed as I expected because of Songkran and I had to laugh at the usual Chinese & Korean mobs all obediently following a flag carrier and properly wearing company logo teeshiirts and/or same coloured hats.

Anyway I very foolishly left my iPad in the pocket in front of me on the AirAsia flight. I noticed almost immediately but had already left the plane and security would let me back on. I waited until all passengers had gotten off and then tried to speak to the crew. I know they can speak English - they have to if flying internationally but they all just pointed ignored me and the word Farang was heard frequently in very desultory tones. I don't believe another passenger took it. It was well inside the pocket and I also know it is the trolley dolly's job to check for any passenger personal belongs left behind, before they themselves leave the aircraft. I reported the incident to security, to two AirAsia offices in the terminal and also made two phone calls to AirAsia"s Bangkok office. None seemed in least bit interested and the most I got was a 'Sorry not found". None asked my name, the flight number, seat number or my contact details. It was me, eventually, who asked if they required these - the offices at DMK said they have already[??!??] and one girl even had the cheek to ask for my pass key for the iPad. [yeah as if - I said - can I borrow a mirror please to see if MUG is written on my forehead]. That of course went at right over the bitch's head. The AirAsia offie in Bangkok also asked the same question but then laughed when I pointed out the error of the question. I was promised a return phone call that never came. I have now emailed them and on Monday I'll phone their Singapore office.

The iPad is of no use to anyone. It's locked by a pass key, a finger scan and my Apple ID. The trolley dolly who has it will already have discovered this of course and although one of her geeks is sure to know someone who can get it working, my iPhone will alarm as soon as, or if ever,it goes live. I'll then instantly photograph its location and then remotely wipe it.

I am an extensive traveller and, due mainly to jet lag and occasionally to much alcoholic indulgence I've left things behind in aircraft before. Ranging from expensive MP3 players and head phones to (once) a rather snotty hanky. They all were always returned to me before leaving the airport; even if I hadn't yet realised I'd left them.

I am sorry Thailand but your reputation in the eyes of the rest of world declines by the day ( most likely by the hour). And please take it from someone who knows - you are are far far from being a country that is even regarded as being properly civilised, never mind properly educated even in its most loosely defined form.

Look out of your geographic window and smell the coffee. IMHO Thailand actually lost out by not being colonised. And regardless it wasn't your might or your brains that stopped you being colonised. It was the fact that none of the powers at the time wanted anything you had and the fact that in typical Thai (cowardly) style your King/government gave away great swatches of your prime land to the French and the British in order that they not invade.

As a final point and again IMHO, Thailand was at its best in two times during its relatively (as a nation) history.

1) during the reign of King Rama V (of course and he deserves the Saint-like status he is given by the majority of Thais.

2) During the Vietnam war - when freedom was truly given to the people due to the American bases scattered throughout the country. You missed your chance then to put Thailand properly on the SE Asia map of democracy as the yanks left and instead allowed that privilege to go to Singapore as the British left there

My apologies to the mods if that seems an awful long post and in places off topic. PM me if you want me to perhaps shorten it and

or move bits to other threads.

[billd766]

Well, here's where the Thai government civil aviation folks claimed they had reached an agreement with Japan to allow the resumption of charter flights starting April 11 / Sat. So that should have meant the Sat. Asian Air flight would have been OK to go...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/814633-japan-and-thailand-sign-a-deal-to-continue-chartered-flights/

And then the earlier, original version

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/813828-japan-to-revise-charter-flight-ban-on-thai-airlines/

Except, curiously, when I did some checking on that news last week, the news of the supposed agreement was ONLY being reported by Thai news sources and/or quoting Thai transport officials.

I couldn't find a single news source that had any Japanese aviation official confirming that news, or even any Japanese news site confirming that same supposed news... Nor could I find any mention of the agreement on the Japan Civil Aviation website, which has an English version.

So...it makes you kind of wonder.... was someone telling Thai porkies again???

It's become standard operating procedure for Thais to make statements on behalf of other countries and organisations etc and unfortunately seem to get away with it.

In diplomatic circles many complaints etc are dealt with quietly behind the scenes but if this it has happened it hasn't had any effect it appears.

LoS is good at speaking out of turn and the exact opposite at apologising or retracting erroneous comments.

As far as the airline industry is concerned they're just digging a deeper hole with this sort of incident.

It's reasonable to think this will have attracted attention and not only in Japan as Thai aviation is very much in the spotlight.

Does LoS actually think this will simply be written off in Japan etc and will not attract extra attention resulting in an even more jaundiced view of Thai safety etc ?

Thailand shoots itself in the foot but as usual it will be someone else's fault.

Whose fault was it that the documentation was late? The airlines fault and not the governemnts.

The Japanese aviation agency will know, the Japanese government will know and if it made the media it will be forgotten my the majority of the population in a couple of days.

[webfact]

JCAB gives green light to Asian Air to fly chartered flight

BANGKOK: -- The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau has given approval for Asian Air to fly its flight with 230 Thai tourists to visit Sapporo Sunday afternoon, Thai Civil Aviation Department Director General Somchai Piputtawat said.

The initial flight was supposed to take off early Saturday but it was cancelled because the airline did not win an approval in time.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/JCAB-gives-green-light-to-Asian-Air-to-fly-charter-30257976.html


-- The Nation 2015-04-13