BANGKOK, Thailand – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is strengthening its foothold in Indonesia, one of ASEAN’s largest tourism markets, by expanding into secondary cities with high potential. In collaboration with Indonesia AirAsia, TAT has launched a direct Surabaya–Bangkok flight, operating four times per week from October 2, 2025, to boost connectivity and support its goal of attracting over 900,000 Indonesian tourists in 2025.
The route was inaugurated with Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ330, which departed Surabaya’s Juanda International Airport at 1:30 PM and arrived at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport at 5:50 PM, offering a capacity of 180 seats. The service operates every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, linking with AirAsia’s existing routes from Jakarta, Medan, and Bali, which together carried over 310,000 passengers in the first half of 2025. The new route is expected to bring around 10,000 visitors to Thailand in the final quarter of the year.
TAT is collaborating with Indonesia AirAsia on joint marketing initiatives and exploring opportunities to add new routes and increase flight frequency. The agency also held discussions with Indonesian tour operators, including Adinda Tour, Lavensia Tour, and Felia Tour, to promote secondary Thai destinations and wellness travel experiences, with a focus on younger travelers and families.
In addition, TAT’s Jakarta Office has organized networking sessions with travel companies in Bandung to exchange market insights and strengthen cooperation. Bandung, a fashion and innovation hub near Jakarta with three million residents, is seen as a key emerging market for Thailand’s tourism promotion.
From January to early October 2025, 615,000 Indonesian tourists visited Thailand, with Bangkok, Chon Buri, Songkhla, and Phuket among their favorite destinations. Popular activities included sampling Thai cuisine, exploring historical sites, enjoying nightlife, relaxing with spa treatments, and engaging in community-based tourism. TAT expects to surpass its target of 900,000 visitors, generating over THB 30 billion in tourism revenue by the end of the year. (NNT)
