Thai Airways Adjusts BKK-HKT Schedule; Increases Flights to China

In anticipation of increasing visitor arrivals from overseas, especially from China and India, Thai Airways has adjusted flight capacity and schedules between Bangkok and Phuket, as well as between Bangkok and different cities in China. After a meeting with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, Thai Airways announced that the flag carrier is ready to cooperate in driving inbound tourism strategies and is prepared for the expected increase in demand that Thailand's free visa policy for Chinese citizens in the forthcoming high season is likely to generate. The airline has adjusted the departure time of TG201 and TG202 between Bangkok (BKK) and Phuket (HKT) using wide-body aircraft that accommodates a total of 292 passengers with 30 seats in Royal Silk Class and 262 seats in Economy Class. Thai Airways and Thai Smile planes at BKK. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com Click to enlarge.Thai Airways and Thai Smile planes at BKK. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com Starting from 1 October 2023 the daily flights will operate as follows: - Bangkok – Phuket: TG201 departs from Bangkok at 08:00 and arrives in Phuket at 09:25. - Phuket – Bangkok: TG202 departs from Phuket at 10:20 and arrives in Bangkok at 11:50. When combined with Thai Smile the group's Bangkok – Phuket flight operations will total 56 flights per week. Thai Smile uses Airbus A320 aircraft. Thai Airways also plans to increase flights to destinations in China from 49 to 56 per week starting 1 December 2023: - Bangkok – Beijing will operate six times per week between 29 October and 30 November 2023, increasing to daily from 1 December 2023. - Flights between Bangkok and Shanghai will be daily from 29 October 2023 to 30 March 2024. - TG's Bangkok - Guangzhou operations will operate daily between 29 October 2023 and 30 March 2024. - The airline will operate the Bangkok - Kunming route with thrice weekly flights between 20 October and 30 November 2023, increasing to daily on 1 December 2023. - Thai's flights between Bangkok and Chengdu will take off two times per week between 20 October and 30 November 2023, increasing to a daily service on 1 December 2023. Thailand is not alone in offering Chinese passport holders visa-free entry. A number of other countries, including most recently Georgia and Kazakhstan, have also launched a similar scheme.