Thailand is predominantly tourism-driven economy. A whopping 32.59 million foreign tourist arrivals in Thailand in 2016 bears a testimony to the tourism-centric growth of the country. Now Thailand is all set to evolve into a major international air travel hub in the Asia-Pacific region, through better air connectivity with more and more countries across the globe.
As part of comprehensive plan to promote tourism on international levels, Thailand is trying all possible means to unlock and leverage the potential of its airports other than Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport. With international airlines launching direct flights to Bangkok Don Mueang, Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai, foreign tourists will have more gateways to enter Thailand.
Some of the new flights to Thailand have been launched over the past few months. Some others are awaiting the launch. For instance, Qatar Airways’ direct flights to Krabi and Chiang Mai were announced last year. Flights from Thailand will be operated across Thai Airports (not only the capital city airport) facilitating access to different parts of the country for foreign visitors.
Below are some of the new flights to Thailand:
- Thai Airways’ flights between Phuket and Beijing
- Turkish Airlines’ new Phuket-Istanbul route
- Qatar Airways’ additional services between Doha and Suvarnabhumi, Phuket and Krabi,
- Thai Air Asia’s new flights from Don Mueang to the Maldives, Jaipur and Tiruchirappalli
- Jetstar Asia’s new Singapore-Hat Yai return flights
- Jetstar Pacific’s service linking Chiang Mai with Dong Hoi, Vietnam
Yuthasak Supasorn, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), opines that Thailand has long been a key target of major airlines in Asia and other continents. A steady flow of inbound tourism traffic depends on better air connectivity through more new flights to Thailand, according to him. The recently launched and upcoming flights to Thailand will not only give access to new entry points but also enable tourists to make more choices with lots of flexibility and convenience when it comes to traveling in and around the country.
Also Read: Thailand gets Visa free entry to Qatar
With the gradual rollout of new flights to Thailand, travelers will have flexibility in choosing itineraries. Yuthasak also adds that Thailand will be a leading player in the global aviation industry.
In an effort to increase the inflow of travelers to the country by tapping into key markets across the world, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoU’s) with several airlines including the national carrier, Thai Airways:
- EVA Air to focus on markets across North America
- Etihad Airways to promote Thailand tourism in the Middle East and Europe
- Qatar Airways to fetch traffic from Europe, Africa and Middle East
- Singapore Airlines to target tourists from Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa
If the things go as planned, the new routes and flights to Thailand will not only boost the Thai economy but also transform the Thai air hub into a global one.
The best airfare deals for flights to Thailand , China, Australia, Qatar, Turkey, UAE, Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore from USA are available at iEagle.com.
