Five new Thai airlines to start flying next year

Thai nationals are launching five new airlines with a total investment of at least 3.85 billion baht, expecting to start commercial operations in 2024, eyeing a piece of Thailand’s growing aviation market which is estimated to reach 320 billion baht in value next year.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), the five new airlines that have been granted the Air Operating Licence (AOL) are: Really Cool Airlines, P80 Air, Pattaya Airways, Siam Seaplane and Landarch Airlines.

These airlines will have to wait for the CAAT to approve their Air Operator Certificate (AOC) before they can fly commercially in Thailand.

Patee Sarasin, chief executive officer of Really Cool Airlines, said that the airline expected to receive an AOC in January next year and start flying from the second quarter.

He said that in the first two years of operation, Really Cool Airlines would focus on Asian routes such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Shanghai with four Airbus A330-300 aircrafts.

With an initial crew of 130, the company will test the market with chartered flights during March to May next year, then switch to regular flights and later expand to European markets.

“We would not compete with Thai Airways International on their regular routes but would focus on flights to secondary cities, which would also help further promote Thailand’s tourism industry,” he said.

Patee added that Really Cool would also be the world first’s airline that delivers passenger luggage to their doors. “We are planning to invest some 1 billion baht in products and services under Rally Cool brands, such as Really Cool Taxi, Really Cool Medical, and Really Cool Cargo,” he said.

Meanwhile, P80 Air spokesman Sorakrit Wannala said that the company expected to get its AOC in the next 8-9 months and start commercial operation in the last quarter of next year.

In the first two years of operation, P80 Air would fly mostly to secondary cities in China using four Boeing B737-800 NG aircrafts, he said.

P80 Air is a subsidiary of Thoresen Thai Agencies Pcl, a maritime logistics arm of Mahagitsiri Group. The company reportedly has invested over 2 billion baht in the airline business, of which 500 million baht have been spent in establishing a new airline.

Thossaporn Usanee, president of Pattaya Group, said that Pattaya Airways planned to take to the skies in the fourth quarter of 2024, providing full-scale aviation transport on both domestic and Asean destinations.

Pattaya Airways will use an ATR72 aircraft for cargo delivery in the first three years before adding three more planes to serve the growing demand of cargo delivery from e-commerce operators, he added.

A news source reported that Siam Seaplane was looking to add amphibian planes of the Cessna Caravan 208 model to its fleet to serve high-end customers visiting seaside resorts and ports in Thailand. The airline’s first route will be the famous Ko Lipe in Satun province, where amphibian planes can shorten the commute time to the island to just 30-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, Landarch Airlines will operate short chartered flights between major cities in southern provinces, starting from April 2024, according to a source.

The airline’s centre would be in Hat Yai, Songkhla province, where it would procure five Cessna C208 B, 12-seaters aircraft within the first five years. Landarch Airlines will expand its fleet to 15 aircraft in following years, targeting destinations in other provinces as well.

Source - The Nation

Suvarnabhumi Improves Services Amid Thailand’s Tourism Rebound

 BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of Transport has instructed Suvarnabhumi Airport to urgently address the issue of long immigration queues and wait times at baggage carousels in order to better facilitate the entry of international travelers amid Thailand’s tourism rebound.

Serving as the country’s main port of international arrivals, Suvarnabhumi Airport last month saw a total of 4.3 million passengers at an average of 138,287 daily passengers, representing 317% year-on-year growth.

The airport in January 2023 served 25,690 flights at a daily average of 829 flights. Some 2,000 of the flights that month - or around 80 flights per day - were from China, bringing in a total of 255,000 arrivals, or around 11,000 passengers a day.

The surge in arriving passengers has caused some issues at the airport, particularly congestion at passport control and long processing periods for baggage. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said that while these issues have already been addressed, more work needs to be carried out to ensure the airport’s capacity for future growth.

The Ministry of Transport has ordered Airports of Thailand (AOT) to add 60 additional immigration counters at the airport’s passport control areas. This expansion, which is in the process of selecting contractors, is expected to expand the processing capacity at passport control to 3,000 people per hour.

On the baggage handling front, AOT has instructed the two ground-handling companies to increase the number of staff members and equipment in order to accommodate more flights. Some airlines have received temporary authorization to manage their own ground-handling at the airport, in an effort to help reduce delays.

The AOT is also in the process of selecting a third ground-handling company to serve flights at the airport, as this would enable the airport to more sustainably increase its growth capacity for flights and passengers.

Sourse - ASIAN NOW

Thailand tourist fee: 300 baht via air, 150 baht via land/sea

Thailand plans to charge foreign arrivals arriving by air a tourist fee of 300 baht (US$9.11) and a fee of 150 baht (US$4.56) for tourists entering the kingdom via land/sea by mid-2023.

The 300 baht tourist fee for air arrivals has been in the pipeline for a long time and is set to be enforced in June after facing several Covid-19-related delays.

However, the Ministry of Tourism wasn’t sure about whether to apply the fee to tourists entering Thailand via land or sea borders.

The biggest concern was that a 300 baht tourist tax could put off Malaysian tourists who are partial to crossing over into southern Thailand via land for short trips of just two or three days. In 2022, Malaysia was Thailand’s No.1 tourism market.

As a compromise, the ministry has halved the fee to 150 baht (US$4.56) for tourists arriving via land/sea.

Minister of Tourism and Sports, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, revealed that the National Tourism Policy Committee convened on Friday to discuss 1) the collection of tourist tax via air and 2) the collection of tourist tax via land/sea…

“At the meeting, we discussed various issues about the collection of the tourist fee (also known as “stepping onto the land fee”) until we came to an agreement. Now, we will seek approval from the Cabinet within the next week.”

Air arrivals exempt from paying the tourist fee include Thai passport holders, airline staff, and infants under two years old.

For arrivals entering Thailand via land or sea, those exempt from paying the fee include Thai passport holders, arrivals entering using temporary border passes, civil servants travelling for work and any employees travelling for day trips.

“All steps have been clearly agreed upon. The draft law is complete and is awaiting Cabinet approval. Then we can proceed with the next steps,” added Phiphat.

It is not yet clear what exactly the collected tourist tax will be spent on. According to Phiphat, the money collected from tourists will be used to support visitors involved in accidents and also to develop tourist destinations.

Source - The Thaiger

Thailand to celebrate its 10 millionth tourist on December 10

Thailand expects to hit the 10 million tourist target on December 10 and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is urging the nation’s airlines to add more flights to meet the growing demand.

The Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Yuthasak Supasorn, reported the good news yesterday. From January to December 5 of this year Thailand welcomed more than nine million tourists, and the number will hit TAT’s yearly target of 10 million on Saturday, December 10.

The PM Office spokesperson, Anucha Burapachaisri, said yesterday that many more travellers wanted to come to Thailand but there were no available flights. Two months ago, the Director of the Thai Travel Service Association (TTSA), Jarivat Wongsomsri, revealed that tourists from Japan wished to come to Thailand but couldn’t find plane tickets.

PM Prayut wants the Ministry of Transport and airlines to solve this and increase flights to Thailand, adding that more ground operation staff needed to be hired and trained to support the increasing number of tourists.

TAT Governor, Yuthasak, revealed that they will host an event named “Amazing Thailand 10 Million Celebrations” to celebrate the kingdom’s achievement and will provide gifts and souvenirs to tourists who enter Thailand on Saturday.

“As of December 5, Thailand recorded 9.78 million foreign visitors this year. We believe the tally will hit 10 million on December 10. “TAT has invited partners to join in the campaign to celebrate this achievement and to show Thailand’s readiness to welcome foreign tourists in every part of the country.”

The event will be held at seven airports across the country, including Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueng, U-Tapao, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, and Samui.

Tourists who travel by land can also celebrate with Thailand at the Nong Khai Border Checkpoint in the northeastern province of Nong Khai and the Sadao Border Checkpoint in the southern province of Songkhla.

Yuthasak said there will be a lucky draw with special prizes at Suvarnabhumi Airport and one lucky traveller will get a special prize. Wonder if it goes to the tourist number 10 million?

Source - The Thaiger

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Russian invasion takes Thailand’s tourism forces by surprise

Russian invasion takes Thailand’s tourism forces by surprise
The Russians are coming! The recent mass Russian invasion of Thailand has taken the country’s tourism forces completely by surprise.

Unexpected numbers of tourists from the war-torn county have tourism operators scrambling to cope with an army of independent travellers, more than capable of looking after themselves, and left commentators scrambling to occupy the moral high ground.

Despite the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian tourism market has returned much quicker than expected, said Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn.

Tourism businesses and providers of guides and buses are remarkably poorly prepared for the influx, despite months or even years of doing very little.

ATTA more focused on assisting tour operators than actual tourists, is preoccupied with the dissemination of marketing information to a group that has their own ideas about what they want from their time in the kingdom.

Russia ranks only 13th this year in terms of Thailand’s source markets with 230,000 happy travellers besieging beaches, temples and the ever-popular red-light districts across the country. However, arrivals have increased significantly this month via Aeroflot flights from Novosibirsk and chartered flights. Pattaya and Phuket are the main destinations for chartered flights from Russia.

ATTA’s Adith Chairattananon said there are increasing inquiries from Russian agents when it comes to tour packages to Thailand, prodding idling cash-strapped tour operators back to life earlier than expected.

Bemoaning the independent thinking of Russian arrivals, Adith said…

“There are very few Thai operators who specialise in the Russian market — most of the players are native Russians.

“As those local specialists in the Russian market have yet to resume operations. Thai operators that are not fluent in this market are likely to face a few hiccups after being closed for a long time as they try to restart their businesses.”

Adith said it would take until the beginning of next year for his members to adjust to the new Russian flavour of visitors.

Sisdivachr claimed that numbers of visitors from India, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore have already fully returned, despite limited flight capacity and clear evidence to the contrary on the beaches and islands. Previously vital markets in northern Asia such as Taiwan and Japan remain flat, Sisdivachr said.

With no signs of China reopening during President Xi Jinping’s recent attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok, Sisdivachr said it will take a while before overall performance improves.

Source - The Thaiger

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Airbus A380 lands at Thailand’s Don Mueang Airport for the first time ever

An Airbus A380 aircraft landed on the runway at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International rt (DMK) for the first time ever yesterday. The Emirates flight was redirected to Bangkok’s smaller airport due to heavy rainfall disrupting the runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

At 9.40pm, flight EK363 from Guangzhou in China descended on DMK after the runway became impassible at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand’s biggest and busiest airport. It is the first time an Airbus A380 has ever landed at DMK.

The plane circled Bangkok’s skies for 50 minutes waiting for weather conditions to improve, but they didn’t. Several flights were unable to land or take off at Suvarnabhumi for several hours last night due to heavy and continuous rainfall.

The aircraft landed safely on DMK’s west runway (21R) at 9.40pm before refuelling and flying over to Suvarnabhumi at 1.08am when the rain had subsided somewhat.

Heavy rainfall and flash flooding are expected to continue today and tomorrow throughout Thailand, according to the Meteorological Department.

Source: Dailynews 

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Thousands STRANDED as Jetstar cancels flights

Jetstar is desperately working to get its planes back in the air after engineering issues forced the company to ground almost half of its fleet, leaving thousands of Australians stranded overseas.
The budget airline confirmed that, by the end of Tuesday, four of its 11 long haul Boeing 787 Dreamliners would be grounded to undergo emergency repairs.

One plane will return to service later this week with two more 787s to take to the skies next week, leaving only one plane out of operation.

A Jetstar spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the fleet had been impacted by ‘a number of issues’, including a lightning strike, a collision with a bird, damage from an item on the runway and issues sourcing a part from the US.

‘The team is working hard to return these aircraft to service as quickly as possible however, safety remains our first priority,’ they said.

It’s understood more than 4,000 passengers have spent extra time in Bali after seeing their return flights with Jetstar either cancelled or delayed.  For the latest stories follow Bangkok Jack News on Twitter.

Some of those passengers were forced to wait up to five days to be put on another flight while others paid thousands of dollars to travel home with a different airline.

One woman from Melbourne, Meagan Mulder, said she, her husband and their two kids had a seven-hour delay in getting home, but the situation was much worse for the friends they’d travelled with around the Indonesian country.

‘We had 12 friends who were on the midnight flight (on Sunday) night, they had their flight cancelled, they can’t get another flight anywhere for seven people until Friday this week, so they’ve had to get more accommodation and everything,’ she told NCA Newswire.

Other friends she knew ended up spending $10,000 to fly via Kuala Lumpur with another airline.

Similar issues have been seen in Thailand with one woman from Brisbane due to fly home with her husband and two kids from Phuket on Saturday night only to find out their flight had been cancelled.

The family was told the next available flight was on September 12 – nine days after their original return trip, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

For those stranded overseas, passengers will be given $150 per hotel room by Jetstar and $30 per person for food.

‘Our teams are working hard to get passengers on their way as soon as possible – we are putting on five special services to bring people home and booking seats on Qantas flights also,’ a Jetstar spokesperson said.

Flight credits or refunds have also been offered.

Source - BangkokJack

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Travel in 2022 – how Russia is reshaping the world’s travel industry

Russians were the most visible travellers heading to Thailand post February 1, 2022, when the Thailand Pass Test & Go option was rebooted. Even with its 2 days of pre-booked SHA+ quarantine and PCR tests, along with US$50,000 Covid insurance (which has since been reduced to $20,000), the Russian travelers were delighted to jump on a plane and take the long trip to the much warmer Land of Smiles.

That situation has now radically changed and the world is reverberating to the full impact of Russia’s aggression and the invasion of Ukraine.

Now there’s a mere trickle of daily flights between Russia and either Suvarnabhumi or Phuket in Thailand. Whilst much of the rest of the world have said ’nyet’ to the arrival of any planes from Russia, Thailand is still allowing them to arrive. But even if the planes are still coming (albeit in vastly reduced numbers), the pressure of world sanctions, bans and the plunge of the Russian Ruble has already made the decision for any potential Russian travelers.

Now, the latest data from ForwardKeys, shows that the Russian invasion of Ukraine, now into its 9th day, has prompted an instant spike in flight cancellations to and from Russia, worldwide. On the day after the first tanks rolled into Ukraine, every booking that was made for travel to Russia was outweighed by six cancellations of existing bookings.

Russians escaping their bleak winter and heading to sunnier destinations were suddenly cancelling their trips. The cancellation rates between February 24 – 26 were Cyprus (300%), Egypt (234%), Turkey (153%), the UK (153%), Armenia (200%), and Maldives (165%).

Bookings for March, April and May were already reaching 32% of the pre-Covid levels of travel for outbound Russians. They were heading to Mexico, Seychelles, Eygpt and Maldives. And Thailand.

The outlook for Q3 this year was looking even stronger.

All that Russian travel enthusiasm has now collapsed and, given the harsh economic weapons thrown at Vladimir Putin, his banks, his ‘friends’ and his citizens, any recovery will be a long, long way down the track. Even if there was a swift and unexpected reversal of the Ukraine situation, Russia has already been dealt a fatal economic blow – in just one week the country been turned into a pariah state and much of the rest of the world seems happy to punish the entire country for Putin’s violence.

For countries like the Seychelles, Maldives and Cyprus, Russian arrivals represented a high percentage of their international arrivals. In Thailand that was about 8% of the total tourist mix. And, whilst the Chinese are still in China for at least the rest of this year, the loss of the Russian travel market probably represented an even higher percentage of tourists that won’t be coming to Thailand in 2022.

Sourse - The Thaiger

According to ForwardKeys, before Russia invaded Ukraine, the top twenty destinations most booked by Russian travelers in March, April and May were…. Number one, Turkey, then the UAE, the Maldives, Thailand, Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, Armenia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Bulgaria, Mexico, Spain, Azerbaijan, USA, UK, Qatar, Italy and Uzbekistan.

The world travel industry will be further hit by rising airfares (due to the sharp surge in oil prices), cancellations of routes (across Eastern Europe), a higher resistance to international travel (for perceived safety reasons) and a lingering instability in world politics.

While the Thailand Pass is still seen by many potential travelers as a significant barrier to their choice of Thailand as their next travel destination, and the Russian and Chinese traveler-tap turned off, Thailand’s immediate travel future looks bleak. And this follows nearly 2 years of border closures, false restarts, over-hyped TAT arrival projections and the former Thai tourism workforce heading home to find other work.

The loss of the Russian travelers underscores a critical need for the Thai government to quickly modify the Thailand Pass, or scrap it completely. With so many other factors now making international travel difficult, Thailand will have to rethink their short to medium term tourism strategies to retain its share of the international travel market.

Of course there is no comparison of the humanitarian tragedy underway inside the borders of Ukraine at this time, but Russia’s aggression will likely have much more long-term, and far-reaching, effects than the clear and present danger it poses on the Ukranian nation right now.

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Emirates A380 to return to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to meet increased demand

The A380 is to return to the skies over Bangkok as Emirates upgrades capacity on flights to the capital to meet increased demand. TTR Weekly reports that Thailand’s recent re-opening to vaccinated tourists from approved countries has led to strong demand, with around 10,000 arrivals registered at Suvarnabhumi every day.

In order to add capacity and frequency to its services, Emirates is bringing back the Airbus A380, which will operate daily from November 28. Flight EK372 will depart Dubai at 09.30, touching down in Bangkok at 18.40. The return flight, EK373, will depart Bangkok at 20.35, arriving in Dubai at 00.50 the following morning.

The A380 service is in addition to Emirates’ other daily service to Bangkok on a Boeing 777 aircraft, as well as 5 weekly flights to the capital via Phuket. It’s understood the carrier will increase the frequency of these flights from December. The increase in frequency and capacity is to meet demand from travellers in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The increase in services means Emirates will be offering over 8,600 additional seats a week, which could increase further, subject to demand.

On November 1, Thailand re-opened with minimal quarantine for vaccinated travellers from 63 approved countries. Passengers still need to take a PCR test within 72 hours of travel, and again on arrival, but only have to stay at a SHA-accredited hotel until they receive a negative test result.

As global travel tentatively resumes, Emirates is re-introducing its flagship A380 aircraft on an increasing number of routes. According to TTR Weekly, the aircraft currently serves 25 cities in 6 continents. That number is expected to increase to 28 cities by the end of the year, as travel demand continues to rise.

Sourse - The Thaiger

Leisure travellers unlikely to visit Thailand until next year

Thailand will not see leisure travelers visiting in any significant numbers until next year, a leading figure in the tourism industry has predicted.

Despite Thailand having now reopened to vaccinated foreign tourists, it may be some time before the country sees an influx of leisure travellers or vacationers.

According to Suthiphong Pheunphiphop, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), Thailand’s leisure tourism sector will pick up only when it becomes easier for people to travel globally and quarantine and other measures which tourists consider a hassle were no longer required.

Meanwhile, Sasithorn Kittidhrakul, president of the Krabi Tourism Association said tourists are unlikely to commit to holidays while mandatory quarantine is still in place upon return to their home country, which is currently still a requirement for Chinese nationals returning home.

The news comes as Thailand on Monday revealed that over 20,000 tourists had entered since it reopened on Nov 1.

By comparison, over 100,000 tourists per day visited Thailand pre-pandemic.

And while the arrival of tourists since Nov 1 had seen a slight rise in hotel occupancy rates in some areas, the average occupancy rate at hotels throughout Thailand remains at 23.5%, up from 15.5% in September, according to a survey conducted jointly by Thai Hotels Association (THA), said that the Thai Hotels Association and the Bank of Thailand.

The survey also found that approximately 33% of hotels throughout the country remain closed, with owners reporting that the low demand is not enough to cover operating costs on utilities and staff salaries.

Source - ASIAN NOW

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Bangkok sees only 1500 arrivals for REBOOT

There were only 1500 foreign arrivals in Bangkok on Monday, the first wave of travellers to Thailand in 18 months, as part of a quarantine waiver for visitors vaccinated against the bug.
There were 1,534 foreign arrivals and 890 Thais on 40 international flights on the opening day on Monday, senior health official Kiattiphum Wongraijit said.

These are total arrival numbers. It is not known how many of these are returning foreigners with property and family or actual holiday makers.

The waiver covers more than 60 countries, including the United States and China, plus several places in Europe, from where some were escaping the winter blues.

“Right now, in Europe as you know it’s quite cold, so we decided to go come here,” said German national, Simon Raithel, among the first arrivals.

Thailand, one of the Asia-Pacific’s most popular tourist destinations, has enforced strict entry curbs that were criticised in the travel industry for being too onerous and economically damaging.

More than 3 million Thai tourism-dependent jobs and an estimated $50 billion a year in revenue have been lost.

Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for about 12% of Thai GDP, with one survey ranking Bangkok as the world’s most visited city.

Thailand tested the waters with the reopening of the island of Phuket, but the pilot scheme had mixed results, drawing just 1% of its monthly pre-pandemic level when it started in July.

Under the new national programme visitors must await a negative COVID-19 test on arrival then can travel freely the following day.

“It is much easier,” said Marguerite Jeason from France. “Before at first it was 14 nights.”

Airlines have rushed to ready the country for the hoped influx of visitors, bringing jets back from hibernation.

Still, the pickup is expected to be relatively slow, with only 180,000 foreign arrivals anticipated this year and 7 million next year, compared with some 40 million in 2019.

Source - BangkokJack

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Chinese tourists will not return until late 2022

Despite Thailand being just days away from reopening the country to international tourists, it could be almost another year before Chinese tourists return, a leading industry body has said.
According to the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), Chinese tourists are not expected to return to Thailand until late 2022.

The prediction comes despite China being listed as one of the 46 low risk countries eligible to enter Thailand without quarantine from November 1.

Chinese tourists visiting Thailand will be dependent on Beijing’s policy of allowing people in and out of the country, said ATTA president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn.

Mr Sisdivachr said that two events – the 2022 Winter Olympics due to be held in Beijing and the 2022 Asian Games due to be held Hangzhou – will give a clearer indication on the country’s policy with regards to people travelling in and out.

Pre COVID-19, the Chinese accounted for the largest number of foreign tourists to visit Thailand, with approximately 11 million tourists visiting from China annually, accounting for 27 percent of the total number of foreign tourists arriving in Thailand.

Source - BangkokJack

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International airlines return 80% of their airport slots in Thailand for the next five months

A traditional Thai statue wears a face mask as a campaign for travelers to prevent the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus at the departure terminal of Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on December 18, 2020. / AFP

International airlines have returned as many as 80% of their airport slots at Thailand’s six international airports between October 31st and March 26th next year, indicating their uncertainty over a recovery in the aviation sector, according to Nitinai Sirisamatthakarn, the managing director of Airports of Thailand (AOT) Public Company.

AOT operates Suvarnabhumi, Don Muaeng, Phuket, Hat Yai, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai’s Mae Fah Luang international airports.

He disclosed that the lowest point for the aviation industry in Thailand was from July to September, this year, after the Thai government suspended all regular flights as a precautionary measure to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, during which average daily arrivals at the six international airports was only 50 passengers.

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/international-airlines-return-80-of-their-airport-slots-in-thailand-for-the-next-five-months/

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Singapore Airlines launches 60 minute A380 flights

It’s designed to ferry lots of people long distances, in an ultra-quiet flying experience. So flyers would be used to flying the huge Airbus A380 from LA to London, Bahrain to Frankfurt, Melbourne to Hong Kong.

The massive super jumbo airliner wasn’t designed for a short 1 hour hop. But that’s exactly what Singapore Airlines have planned now they’re getting their fleet back in the skies.

The flight is surely one of the shortest scheduled journeys for the mighty A380, between Singapore’s Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur in next door Malaysia. The flights will be 3 times a week from November 4 to December 2, 2021 as both country’s aviation industries struggle back into the air.

Singapore’s national airline will also kick off its London flights out of Changi from the middle of November as well.

While some of the world’s largest airlines are mothballing their mammoth A380s, or taking them out of service altogether, Singapore Airlines says the plane is a favourite among passengers and “some people just book the A380 specifically to fly on it”. Lufthansa and Air France have already retired their superjumbos.

Another owners of a large A380 fleet, British Airways, is putting the world’s largest passenger jet back into service on short haul London to European destination, specifically to Madrid and Frankfurt. They say it’s to train crews before resuming the profitable transatlantic flights.

Airbus is no longer producing the A380s, after orders evaporated and the largest passenger jet, originally launched in 2005, falling out of favour with a smaller generation of more economical jets coming into service, like Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 series.

Source - The Thaiger

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Thailand must reopen soon if it wants to survive: FTI

With such a long time since tourists were welcomed into Thailand, the Federation of Thai Industries fears that potential tourists may be wandering away from Thailand. The FTI chairman warned that the window may be closing to still attract these travellers.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but as Thailand’s closure to nearly all international tourism stretches to almost 2 years, tourists’ fond recollections of sun-drenched beaches, beautiful temples, great food, or wild nights may be fading away to a distant memory, and they may be tempted away by newer travel destination ideas.

The FTI chairman fears that Thailand has kept its doors closed and the tourism industry shuttered for too long already, and it’s time to rip off the bandage and reopen the country fully to international travellers.

He argues that now that 40% to 50% of the population of Thailand has been vaccinated, with injections continuing at a steady pace, the country is reasonably protected from Covid-19 outbreak if it were to reopen the borders.  The number of daily infections has dropped from its peak near 25,000 a day to consistently around the 10,000 per day mark.

Hospitals that were once overrun with incoming patients as authorities raced to set up hotel/hospital facilities, field hospitals, and community quarantine centres have now calmed and the previous bed shortages are no more. Thailand is prepared for the medical needs of future Covid-19 patients should a surge occur as the borders are reopened.

The FTI chairman did say that vaccination is still lagging and that before opening the country, a drive should focus on vaccinating the business sector so it is ready to open and operate safely for a full international reopening.

He stated that the economy is beginning to show signs of recovery and economic activity is fluttering to life though the Sandbox figures were disappointing, but that the gross domestic product will grow by only 1% this year and government assistance is still needed to help small to medium-sized enterprises stay afloat.

Source - The Thaiger / The Star

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Thailand’s Air Asia flies back into business

 AirAsia increased flights and routes starting 1 October 2021, from its Don Mueang Airport home base.
The services are now in place serving Phitsanulok, Nan, Loei, Sakon Nakhon, Surat Thani, Krabi and Trang.

It is also taking a gamble with an untested route Chiang Mai-Hua Hin starting 15 October. A service from Chiang Mai to Phuket will start on 16 October.

These new routes are in addition to 11 routes that were relaunched in September. AirAsia in Thailand has 20 domestic routes as of this month.

‘We saw an encouraging response across all of our routes in September, achieving a load factor average of 75-80% during weekdays and 90 to 95% at weekends, especially for flights to and from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Hat Yai.’

‘With our guests now getting more familiar with the different travel requirements imposed by each province, we believe tourism industry operators will begin to see a stronger recovery during the final quarter of this year.’

However, strict health and safety measures are still in place to reduce the spread of Covid-19 through contactless services and social distancing.  The airline is promoting a Digital Health Pass provided by the Mor Prom application, which displays vaccination records and Covid-19 test results, despite the app’s shortcomings.

It often displays vaccinated records missing important data such as the name and surname.

The airline says it is working closely with the Ministry of Public Health and Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand to develop new service standards to provide passengers peace of mind. It should start with a total overhaul of the Mor Phrom app.

AirAsia encourages all guests to check-in via the AirAsia Super App. Guests should make full use of the AirAsia Super App, the only all-in-one app that guests would need for their journey – from flight to hotel bookings, checking in, through to boarding with the e-Boarding Pass except of course Mor Phrom, which is very unreliable.

Direct flights available for booking in October 2021 from Don Mueang Airport serve the following destinations” Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai, Chiang Rai, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phitsanulok, Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Surat Thani, Krabi, Trang, Nakhon Panom, Roi Et, Narathiwat, Nan, Loei, Sakon Nakhon and domestic cross-country connections Chiang Mai-Hua Hin and Chiang Mai-Phuket.

Source - BangkokJack 

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Foreign tourists can now stay for nine months in Thailand

 

Foreign tourists can now stay in Thailand for up to nine months without the need to travel abroad and have their visas extended, three months on the initial visa with two extensions of three months each.
Thailand’s Ministry of Interior says the new rules came into effect on October 1st, and are valid until September 30th next year, in a bid to boost the tourism industry.

Foreign tourists will, however, have to meet certain requirements to qualify as long stayers.

First of all, they must agree to a period of quarantine, as part of the Public Health Ministry’s measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, and must show booking receipts from the hotels in which they will isolate.

This is despite Thailand claiming they are lifting quarantine requirements for all visitors on November 1st.

Then, they must show evidence of payments for their lodgings during their stay in the kingdom, which can be a rented house, a rented condominium room or a title deed of a condominium room.

Meaning, you must pay in advance for your nine-month’s accommodation and if you are denied entry at the border then good luck in getting that back.

They are also required to have health insurance, with a minimum of US$ 100,000 cover for COVID-19 treatment valid for the entire period of their stay in the country.

They must also have health and accident insurance coverage of 40,000 baht for out-patient treatment and 400,000 baht for in-patient treatment.

Having met the requirements, tourists will be granted a special tourist visa (STV), which is for single use and will allow them to stay in Thailand for 90 days, which can extended twice by 90 days per extension.

The visa extension fee is 2,000 baht (US$60) each time.

Still want to go to Thailand…?

Source - BangkokJack

Our VISA AGENT

Thailand to slowly restart tourism with flight from China

 

Thailand will receive its first foreign vacationers when a flight from China arrives next week, marking the gradual restart of a vital tourism sector battered by corona-virus travel curbs, a senior official said on Tuesday.

The first flight will have about 120 tourists from Guangzhou, flying directly to the resort island of Phuket, Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters.

Thailand has kept coronavirus infections low with just 3,559 cases and 59 deaths, but its economy has taken a hit from a ban on foreign visitors since April and is expected to contract 8.5% this year.

Government spokeswoman Traisulee Traisoranakul expects 1,200 tourists in the first month, generating about 1 billion baht ($31.55 million) in revenue and 12.4 billion baht over one year, drawing in 14,400 tourists.

Nationalities permitted to enter will be from countries deemed low risk by the government, which will keep tabs on them.

"We are not opening the country, we are limiting the number of entries and will manage with wrist bands, apps to follow them," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters.

The government predicts just 6.7 million foreign visitors this year after a record 39.8 million in 2019, whose spending made up about 11.4 percent of GDP, or 1.93 trillion baht.

Thailand in January was the first country outside of China to detect the coronavirus, in a visitor from Wuhan.

"Tourists will be on a long stay visa, starting Oct. 8 and will stay in alternative state quarantine for 14 days," Yuthasak said.

Visitors need health insurance and a negative coronavirus test 72 hours before traveling and will be tested twice in quarantine.

"Thailand's protection system can prevent a second wave," government spokeswoman Traisulee said.

"We have prevented local transmission for 100 days before," she said, adding that had made Thailand attractive for visitors wanting to avoid infections.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Understanding Travel Restrictions in Thailand and Across Asia

Most tourist hotspots in Asia and Southeast Asia still remain out of bounds to international flights as travel restrictions remain due to the covid-19 pandemic. However some countries including Thailand are now making arrangements to lift the travel restrictions.

The Foreign Ministry has informed Thailand’s foreign chambers of commerce that foreigners who have work permits or permission from Thai government agencies will soon be allowed to enter Thailand.

Foreigners with work permits will be allowed to return once the aviation rules change. Unfortunately spouses and families are not included in the stipulation.

Travel Restrictions in place for Asian countries

THAILAND:

A ban on commercial international flights has been extended until end June. Nationals and foreigners with work permits can return on charter flights. But citizens need to provide certificates issued by Thai embassies, and foreigners are required to present a negative coronavirus test. There is a mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival.

Thailand hopes to lift travel restrictions and reopen to limited international tourism later this year for “low-risk” countries including China and South Korea.

AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND:

Borders are effectively closed except for returning citizens and residents, who are quarantined for 14 days. The two countries have talked about a possible “travel bubble” between them but New Zealand has said that is unlikely to happen while travel between Australian states remains restricted. A travel bubble may include Pacific Islands.

CHINA:

Citizens can return under their travel restrictions, but the entry of most foreigners is banned. Including those with valid visas and residence permits, remains suspended.

It has, however, signed a fast-track programme with South Korea and Singapore to allow essential business travel and is in talks with more countries to do so.

It has also allowed foreign executives and technical personnel from some other nations to enter on pre-approved charter flights, sometimes with reduced quarantine, to accelerate the resumption of business.

INDIA:

Borders are effectively closed as coronavirus cases have surged to over 267,000. India said this week it will take a call on resuming international flights as soon as countries ease restrictions on foreign nationals.

 INDONESIA:

Citizens and long-term pass holders may enter, but must bring documents showing they are free of the coronavirus or undergo tests at the airport. The country is opening up domestic travel from Wednesday with safety and quarantine measures.

JAPAN:

The country is considering an easing of travel curbs, although it is likely to require testing and the submission of a travel itinerary,Reuters reported. It is in talks with some countries to reopen borders, with business travellers and medical staff expected to be fast-tracked.

MALAYSIA:

Borders remain effectively closed, but interstate travel will be allowed starting June 10. Returning Malaysians who test negative can self-isolate at home for 14 days starting Wednesday, instead of at a quarantine centre.

SINGAPORE:

Singapore is allowing travellers to transit through its main airport, but borders remain effectively closed. It is in talks with some countries about reopening travel links, including Malaysia and New Zealand.

SOUTH KOREA:

A few international flights continue to operate. All citizens and foreigners who enter are quarantined for two weeks. Diplomats or foreigners with official business status are exempted from mandatory quarantine but are tested on arrival.

TAIWAN:

Borders remain closed other than for citizens, foreigners with residence permits and a few other exceptions. Everyone coming in has to undergo a 14-day quarantine. The government said it will be cautious when looking at whether to ease border restrictions given the serious situation still in many countries.

A limited number of international flights continue to operate.

VIETNAM:

Borders remain closed except for citizens as well as foreign experts with valid work permits and negative coronavirus test certificates who are returning on charter flights. A 14-day quarantine upon arrival is mandatory.

The government on Tuesday said it was seeking to end travel restrictions and reinstate international flights. Only to countries that had been free of the virus for 30 days. Flights would resume these with limited frequency and priority given to foreign experts and investors.

Source - The Chiang Rai Times

Thailand - Phuket’s hotels can now open. Someone forgot to tell the hotels.

Phuket is open. Sort of. And the hotels on the island are officially allowed to re-open but few are flinging open their doors anytime soon to welcome the hordes of tourists lining up to book a room. The holiday island is in a Catch 22 situation with the hotels waiting for the guests to return and potential visitors waiting until there are signs of life.

Although the authorities said hotels could re-open on June 1 they forgot to give hotels any advance notice so management could put all the many wheels in motion necessary to open a modern hotel.

A hotelier told TTR Weekly the first he knew of the lifting of restrictions was when he received a message on his phone saying the province had announced the island’s hotels could reopen.
“They gave no one any warning, but within 30 minutes of the text message on hotels reopening, the social security department sent out messages ending the monthly compensation payments for June.”

But opening up the hotels is just one small step to re-booting Phuket’s battered tourist industry.

What are the guidelines for quarantine, if any? Do guests require any specific documentation? Insurance? Which hotels are actually open? Who is co-ordinating the information? Do travellers get any information about these things when they make their bookings? How do travellers know the hotel’s open anyway?

And if travellers come to Phuket, then return to their province. will they be required to do 14 day quarantine, as required by some provinces?

For now, the only way you can get to Phuket is across the Sarisan Bridge, the only land link to the Thai mainland. The island’s marine piers are also open again but there are scant services running at the moment.

And the airport?

There has been no official announcement about the re-opening of Phuket International Airport, even for domestic services. The island’s provincial authorities applied to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand last week to re-open the airport but there has been no official response. Many other airports have now re-opened around Thailand to limited domestic flights but the success of the domestic flights reboot has been sketchy with schedules constantly changing as airlines battle with the ‘new normal’. Passengers are also describing the whole process as a “hassle’ with longer times needed to get into the airport, through check-in, requirements for social distancing and the completely impersonal flight experience with flight crews dressed up like ICU staff.

But there are signs of life. Maybe Thai AirAsia, Nok Air and Vietjet Air know something the rest of us don’t. All three have bookings available, at least between Phuket and Bangkok, from June 16. Fares range from 1,100 up to 1,700 in the week after June 16, one way. But if you’re rushing to buy a ticket, on or off the island, be aware that there is no official green light for a resumption of flights, as of today.

International flights into Thailand are banned up to at least the end of June with, again, no official mention of what will happen after that. Residents of which countries will be allowed to fly in? What restrictions and conditions will be imposed? And which airlines are going to be flying anyway?

The CAAT has extended the ban on international flights twice already.

The Thai government said last month that they were going to use June as the month to clear a lot of the chartered Thai citizen repatriation flights. That the only new cases of Covid-19 in Thailand over the past 2 weeks have been returning citizens, all from Middle East countries, will be a niggling concern for authorities as they figure out how, or when, to re-open international borders.

Back to Phuket…

Even if the hotels are re-opening, where will these magic travellers be coming from. The biggest feeder market, weekenders from Bangkok, will be going to Pattaya or Hua Hin. They’re unlikely to take a 12 hour drive to Phuket, no matter how cheap the hotels, or pretty the beaches. So as long as Thailand is closed to international tourists, and the airport’s sealed off from international travel, the prospects for Phuket’s hotel industry remain extremely limited.

Even if some domestic tourism provides a kick-start to the island’s tourist economy, what will they do when they’re here? All the hot spots are ‘cold’, there are few tours that are considering re-starting for now and it’s wet season anyway.

Speaking to the GM of three hotels on the island, he told The Thaiger that they’re not re-opening until October, at the earliest.

“There are plenty of difficult months ahead with our old staff mostly laid off. When we re-open, many of the staff will be new. The whole things a mess.”

Any bets on June 16 for a re-opening of Phuket Airport to domestic flights?

Source - The Thaiger