Thai Airways Guide
The Thai Airways International of today began life as a joint venture between the Thai Airways Company and Scandinavian Airlines. The idea was to create a section of the airline that would expand the more or less domestic offerings of the Company and allow the entity to begin offering international services to their passengers. These international flights commenced in 1960, with the new Thai offering flights to points around Asia, all departing from Bangkok. In 1971, expansion into intercontinental services began, and eventually came to include flights to North America as well as Europe. Today, Thai provides flights to seventy-one destinations around the world.
Thai Airways History & Information
Thai maintains a head office in Chatuchak, Bangkok, utilising Suvarnabhumi Airport as its operational hub. Altogether, the airline provides a total of 59 domestic flights that make travel within Thailand simple and efficient. Late flights are a rarity, and the onboard service is considered among the best of any airline. This attention to detail, especially when coupled with the comfortable setting found on the airliners operated by Thai, make it easy to see how the airline lives up to its slogan of "Smooth As Silk".
Thai Airways Routes
In terms of domestic flights, Thai offers daily services to a number of key locations around the nation. Along with the hub at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, flights to and from Chiang Mai International Airport are conducted daily. Chiang Mai also serves as a focus city for the airline. The city of Phuket is also a focus city, with regular flights to and from Phuket International Airport.
Several other key locations around Thailand are served by Thai. These include the Samui Airport in Koh Samui, Krabi Airport in Krabi, Hat Yai International Airport in Hat Yai, Phitsunulok Airport in Phitsunulok, and Chiang Rai International Airport in Chiang Rai.
The southern, southeastern, and southwestern areas of Asia are also covered by a wide selection of flights offered by Thai. For South Asia, such key destinations as Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka provide easy access to Bangladesh.
A number of flights to and from India are maintained by the airline, including service to the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, and Bengalrur International Airport in Bangalore. Other key destinations include Tribhuban International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Islamabad International Airport in Islamabad, Pakistan, and Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Services to a number of points in Southeast Asia are also provided. Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Laos is an example, as is the Phnom Penh International Airport in Cambodia. Regular flights also take passengers to and from such cities as Manila, Hanoi, Jakarta, and Ho Chi Min City. Thai covers Southwest Asia with flights to Muscat International Airport in the nation of Oman, as well as Dubai International Airport in Dubai, thus allowing the airline to provide services to passengers bound for the United Arab Emirates.
Around Europe, Thai provides services to such key cities as Paris, Rome, Stockholm, and London. Other important locations include flights to and from Frankfurt Airport in Germany, Athens International Airport in Greece, and Barajas Airport in Madrid.
In recent years, several flights to North America have been discontinued, but Thai still provides services to Los Angeles International Airport in the United States on a regular basis. Flights to Oceania are also still part of the Thai flights available, with services to Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne providing ample coverage of Australia. Auckland Airport in New Zealand is also home to Thai flights.
The Thai Airways Fleet
Thai's fleet is mainly composed of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, with a few McDonnell Douglas and ATR72 craft in use. The cabin formation and seating arrangements vary, depending on the nature of the flight and the distance involved. In general, the seat arrangements allow for a measure of comfort, even on the shorter domestic flights.
Additional Information
Thai offers four levels of flights. The Royal First Class offers seats with lumbar massage and touch screen technology. The Royal Silk Class is the airlines business class, and features ample seating room, as well as the touch screens and massage capability afforded to Royal First Class passengers. A Premium Economy Class offers seating that is slightly smaller, but still roomy in comparison to other airlines. Smaller touch screens allow access to a limited range of functions. The Economy Class offers basic amenities for the budget-conscious traveller, while still maintaining a level of service that is hard to find elsewhere.