3-10-2023 (BANGKOK) Thai Airways International Pcl has reported a remarkable surge in its flights from China, with passenger loads exceeding 90%, thanks to the temporary relaxation of visa rules for visitors by South-East Asia’s second-largest economy.
Chief Commercial Officer of Thai Airways, Korakot Chatasingha, shared this insight during an interview with Bloomberg Television, underscoring the considerable growth in Chinese tourism into Thailand.
As Thailand seeks to revitalize its economy and revive tourism, it has been relying on Chinese visitors to play a pivotal role. Policy adjustments and the inauguration of a new terminal at Bangkok’s busiest airport have been instrumental in this endeavor.
Thai Airways, currently undergoing debt restructuring in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, revealed its intention to expand its flight offerings to five Chinese cities, increasing the frequency from 49 to 56 flights per week, effective from December 1.
To further boost tourism numbers, Thailand implemented visa-free entry for Chinese visitors from September 25 to February 29. This decision was aimed at reinvigorating tourist arrivals from China, the nation’s largest source of foreign tourists. However, as of the eighth month of 2023, these arrivals stand at only about 50% of pre-pandemic levels, according to Korakot.
While Korakot remains optimistic about the long-term recovery of Thailand’s tourism industry, Thai Airways is carefully considering whether it should further elevate its China-bound flights to match the pre-Covid levels.
“We are trying to anticipate if the number is growing strongly, we believe we can go back to the levels in 2019,” said Korakot, expressing the airline’s readiness to adapt to the evolving travel landscape.
