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Bangkok Airways announces
reduced fuel surcharge for 2009
Bangkok Airways (PG) on January 9 announced it has reduced its current
fuel surcharge tariff on international and domestic flights to be in
line with the world’s current oil price and to boost tourism.
The charge for international flights between Thailand and Cambodia,
Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam is reduced to USD15 per sector (from USD25).
Flight from Bangkok to Macau is reduced to USD25 per sector (from
USD30), from Bangkok to Xi’an is reduced to USD45 per sector (from
USD60), from Bangkok to Guilin is reduced to USD30 per sector (from
USD40), from Samui to Singapore is reduced to USD25 (form USD45), from
Samui to Hong Kong is reduced to USD32 per sector (from USD60), from
Bangkok to Maldives is reduced to USD45 (from USD90) per sector and from
Bangkok to Japan is reduced to USD45 (from USD95) per sector. And the
charge for domestic flights between Bangkok and Sukhothai, Chiang Mai,
Phuket, Samui, and between Pattaya (Utapao) and Phuket, Samui, and
between Chiang Mai and Samui is reduced to USD12 per sector (from
USD20).
Also effective on January 9, the fuel surcharge for domestic sector for
flights between Phnom Penh-Siem Reap is reduced to USD12 per sector
(from USD20).
Moreover, Bangkok Airways is currently holding a “Thank you fares”
promotion to offer special all-inclusive web fares through
www.bangkokair.com for its domestic and international routes, including
one-way fare from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Trat and Phuket priced at 1,900
baht, one-way fare from Bangkok to Samui priced at 2,750 baht and
one-way fare from Bangkok to Hiroshima and Maldives priced at 18,000
baht. The promotion ends March 31, 2009.
For more information and reservation, contact Bangkok Airways’ Call
Center – 1771, 02 270 6699 or visit www.bangkokair.com.
Airlines unsupportive of
Suvarnabhumi as single airport
Watchiranont Thongtep, TTG Asia
The Thai government has revised their aviation policy to endorse
Suvarnabhumi Airport as a single airport, but Don Muang-based airlines
still disagree on the change.
Airport of Thailand (AOT) acting president and Suvarnabhumi Airport
general manager, Serirat Prasutanond, told TTG Daily News Suvarnabhumi
Airport has been ready to welcome low-cost carriers (LCCs) Nok Air and
One-Two-Go and some of Thai Airways’ domestic flights, particularly
after the cabinet gave the green light on the single airport operation
policy last week.
Serirat said current operating flights in Don Muang only represent 10
percent of total arriving flights in Bangkok.
Moreover, he added, Suvarnabhumi Airport was expected to receive 41 to
42 million passengers this year, the same number as last year, and with
a maximum capacity of 45 million passengers per year it could
accommodate the airlines.
He believed the new policy would be a business opportunity for the LCCs
to gain more passengers through connecting flights, rather than
stand-alone operations at Don Muang Airport.
However, One-Two-Go founder and CEO Udom Tantiprasongchai said the
change meant additional operation costs, especially painful in the
economic recession.
Nok Air CEO, Patee Sarasin, also said the change was not timely, adding
it would cost the airline around 20 million baht to move operations to
the main airport.
No time to lose, trade urges TAT
Watchiranont Thongtep, TTG Asia
Thailand’s travel trade is urging the government to take immediate
action to restore tourist confidence early this year by injecting a public
relations and marketing budget.
Thai Hotels Association president, Prakit Chinamornpong, said road shows led by
the new premier and aggressive marketing campaigns are necessary.
He said prompt action needs to be carried out on potential markets such as
China, India, Japan, South Korea and the Middle East.
CCT Express managing director, Vichit Prakopkosol, said the Tourism Authority of
Thailand (TAT) should conduct media fam trips and launch a marketing campaign in
China for the first two months before boosting sales.
He added China-based travel companies would require advertising support from the
Thai government if they were to bring Chinese travelers into the country.
Thai tourism minister, Chumpol Silpa-acha, said TAT would lead in reviving the
country’s tourism business this year.
Chumpol added he is committed to the trade to push for a 1.9 billion baht
marketing budget from the cabinet, 1.2 billion baht for the international market
and 700 million baht for the domestic market.
The minister has set a target to raise the country’s tourism revenue to 600
billion baht this year.
Weerasak to chair TAT
Watchiranont Thongtep, TTG Asia
The Thai travel trade supports tourism minister Chumpol Silpa-acha’s
decision to appoint Weerasak Kowsurat chairman of the Tourism Authority of
Thailand (TAT).
Association of Thai Travel Agents president, Apichart Sankary, believes Weerasak
would be readily understanding and attentive to the trade’s needs owing to his
prior experience as tourism minister.
Thai Hotels Association president, Prakit Chinamourphong, said the trade
supports Chumpol’s decision as it believes Chumpol would put together a good
working team for the development of tourism.
Chumpol appointed the former tourism minister TAT chairman before TAT’s monthly
board meeting on January 15.
At the board meeting, the stimulus and marketing plan for this year was
discussed, and a committee for selecting TAT’s new governor was appointed.
Current TAT governor, Phornsiri Manoharn, will end her term in March.
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