Thai Airways International plc is the flag carrier airline of Thailand.[8][9][10] Formed in 1961 as a joint venture between SAS and Thai Airways Company, the airline has its corporate headquarters in Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Chatuchak district, Bangkok,[11][12] and primarily operates from Suvarnabhumi Airport. THAI is a founding member of the Star Alliance. The airline is the second-largest shareholder of the low-cost carrier Nok Air with a 8.91 percent stake (2021),[13] and it launched a regional carrier under the name Thai Smile in the middle of 2012 using new Airbus A320 aircraft.[14] In 2023, it was announced that Thai Smile would be merged back into Thai Airways.[15]
Operating from its primary hub at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thai currently serves 51 international and 9 domestic destinations using a fleet of 80 aircraft consisting of wide-body and narrow-body aircraft from both Boeing and Airbus with 80 aircraft on order as of January 2026, with plans to increase its fleet to 143 aircraft by 2029. Currently Thai's route network is dominated by flights to cities in Europe, Asia and Oceania flying to 29 countries as of January 2026 including 9 domestic routes.
Thai Airways is a member and one of the five founding members of Star Alliance, which was founded on 14 May 1997.[16]
History
Beginnings
Thai Airways International was founded in 1960 as a joint venture between Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), which held a 30 percent share of the new company valued at two million Thai baht, and Thailand's domestic carrier, Thai Airways Company .[17] SAS provided operational, managerial, and marketing expertise, with training aimed at building a fully independent national airline in the shortest possible time. Thai nationals were gradually able to assume full managerial responsibility and the number of expatriate staff duly decreased, with expatriates accounting for less than one percent of staff based in Thailand in 1987.[18]
The airline's first intercontinental services using Douglas DC-8s started in 1971 to Australia, and then to Europe the following year.[19] A number of the larger Douglas DC-10 wide-body tri-jets was acquired in the late-1970s.
Branding
Safety video
The current safety video was introduced in 2018. Sueb Nakhasathien Foundation president Rungsit Kanjanavanit stated his belief that the video does not sufficiently reflect Thai culture as the animals and flowers used are more commonly found in South America.[47]
The launch of Thai Smile
As part of THAI's broader growth strategy in the region, THAI launched a regional carrier with light-premium services, Thai Smile, which operates the narrow-bodied Airbus A320-200 on regional and domestic routes. The new airline began commercial operations in July 2012, after its first A320s were received. As of September 2020, Thai Smile files to 31 destinations and a fleet of 20 aircraft with Chiang Mai International Airport being its focus city.
By September 2016, Thai Smile
Liveries and logos
In 2006, Thai Airways moved its hub to the new Suvarnabhumi Airport. Coinciding with the arrival of new aircraft in the mid-2000s, as well as its new hub in Bangkok, the airline launched a brand renewal by introducing new aircraft livery, new aircraft seating, and revamped ground and air service.
The logo on the tail fin shows the traditional Thai greeting gesture (wai), and the curves represents traditional Thai architecture of the decorative structure called lamyong that are common on temple roofs to distinguish different tiers in the structure. The gold represents the colour of Thai Temples, while the magenta signifies magnolia blossom, where finally the purple represents the Thai Orchid - a colour that is used throughout the airline from uniforms to interior cabin colour schemes.[56]
Special liveries
In 1999, THAI first painted the Royal Barge Suphannahong aircraft livery on its Boeing 747-400 (HS-TGJ) aircraft, royally bestowed the name “Haripunchai” on the occasion of the Sixth Cycle Birthday of King Rama IX.[57]
Corporate affairs
Business trends
The key trends of Thai Airways are (as at the financial year ending December 31):[61]
As of October 2019, Thai's accumulated debt amounted to more than 100 billion baht, prompting a deputy transport minister to question "...how serious the airline's executives were in dealing with the worsening financial situation."[80] Thai reported a net loss of 4.68 billion baht in the third quarter of 2019 and a 10.91 billion baht net loss for the first nine months of 2019. Thai's president lamented that, "...such losses were normal for airlines amid fierce competition and price dumping to win customers,"[81] a statement contradicted by the performance of other airlines in the region such as VietJet Air.
At the commencement of 2014, Thai was subject to a rumor that the company would declare bankruptcy in May 2014.[82]
Destinations
<!-- As of March 2024, Thai Airways International flies to 56 international and 9 domestic destinations.
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Fleet
Thai Airways operates a fleet of both wide-body and narrow-body aircraft from Airbus and Boeing. As of January 2026, the airline has 80 aircraft and 89 on order.
Aircraft Maintenance Centres
THAI maintains three maintenance centres, at U-Tapao International Airport, Don Mueang International Airport, and Suvarnabhumi Airport. The centers service aircraft belonging to other airlines in addition to Thai aircraft.
THAI Technical
THAI Technical is certified internationally by the Federal Aviation Administration, the Joint Aviation Authorities,[163] the European Aviation Safety Agency Part-145 Maintenance Organisation,[164] and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau for facilities at Don Mueang International Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport.[165] It has also received its Requalifier Identification Certificate from the United States Department of Transportation[166]
Hygiene
Thai initiated a program entitled "The Most Hygienic In-Cabin Environment Program" with an emphasis on air quality, surface cleanliness, and food safety. The program includes removal of all in-flight disposable materials after flights, sterilization and fumigation of all cabin equipment, and inspection of the air-circulation system. A special audit process is also carried out for the cleaning and sanitization of aircraft systems by a team of specialists. These measures are applied to the entire Thai fleet.[169]
Thai was the first airline to install hospital-grade air-filter True HEPA, capable of intercepting up to 99.99 per cent of dust particles and microorganisms on every flight.[169] The World Health Organization awarded the airline a plaque for the implementation of its in-cabin management system in 2004. It was the first award of its kind to be presented to a private organization.[170][171]
Services
Cabins
Thai Airways offers four classes of service: Royal First Class, Royal Silk Class, Premium Economy, and Economy. On 29 April 2025, Thai Airways announced a cabin retrofit program for its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft (excluding those equipped with Royal First Class) and older Airbus A350-900s. The program includes new Royal Silk and Economy Class seats, as well as the installation of the Economy Plus Class.[172]
Royal First Class
Royal First Class seats on Thai Airways are exclusively available on three Boeing 777-300ER aircraft operating routes to London, Tokyo, and Osaka. Each seat is 24 inches wide and 7 feet long, equipped with a fully flat bed to maximize comfort and privacy. The seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration across the first two rows of the aircraft.[173]
However, Thai Airways plans to discontinue Royal First Class within two or three years from 2025 as part of a strategic plan to improve the travel experience and a restructuring plan to reduce the cabin configuration to three classes: Royal Silk Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class.
Royal Orchid Plus
Royal Orchid Plus is Thai's frequent flyer program. It has a membership of over two million people.[190] There are two types of miles which can be accrued with a Royal Orchid Plus account: Eligible Qualifying Miles (EQM) on flights of THAI and its subsidiaries and codeshare and Star Alliance partners[191] as well as Qualifying Miles (Q Miles) are the miles flown as well as the bonus miles earned from travel in particular classes of service on THAI and Star Alliance airlines. Royal Orchid Plus miles are earned based on the paid class of travel. There are four tiers in the Royal Orchid Plus program: Member, Silver, Gold and Platinum, depending on the Q Miles earned in one calendar year.
Sponsorship
Thai Airways signed a sponsorship agreement with English Football League (EFL). The new agreement will see Thai Airways have a digital and in-stadia presence at every one of the five EFL Finals that are held at Wembley Stadium throughout the 2017/18.[192] As of 2020, Thai has been given a year extension on the partnership.[193]
In 2019, Thai Airways signed a sponsorship agreement with Australian Rugby Team Melbourne Rebels[194] and the Australian A-League soccer club Western Sydney Wanderers for the 2018/19 season.[195]
Accidents and incidents
- 30 June 1967: Thai Airways International Flight 601, a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III (registered as HS-TGI, named Chiraprapa), crashed in the sea while landing at Kai Tak Airport during a typhoon, killing 24 of 80 on board.
- 9 July 1969: A Sud Aviation Caravelle III (registered as HS-TGK, named Thepamart) landed with difficulty Hard landing at Don Mueang International Airport during a thunderstorm; all 75 on board survived, but the aircraft was written off. The aircraft may have been caught by a downdraft.[196]
- 10 May 1973: Thai Airways International Flight 311[197] A Douglas DC-8-33 (registered as HS-TGU, named Srisubhan) from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport[198][199][200]
See also
- List of airlines of Thailand
- Transport in Thailand
Bibliography
- Flying the silken way-40 years of Thai, Thai Airways, 2000
Further reading
- Lumholdt N.-Warren W., The history of aviation in Thailand, Travel Publishing Asia Ltd., Hong Kong, 1987
- Young E.M., Aerial nationalism-History of aviation in Thailand, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington (D.C.), 1995
- Darke S.M.-Vannukul V., Royal orchid-The history of civil aviation in Thailand, Air Britain Historians, U.K.
External links
References
- Thai Airways on ch-aviation ch-aviation.com, retrieved 5 Sep 2024^
- List of Thailand Air Operator Certificate Holders Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, 5 October 2022, retrieved 5 October 2022^
- THAI Operates Inaugural Flights to Milan and Oslo Serving Travel Demand Growth with Seamless Connections to Europe