First direct Tigerair flight from Taiwan makes its way to Phuket

Photo of Tara Abhasakun Tara AbhasakunPublished: 13:21, 12 May 2023| Updated: 14:11, 12 May 2023
442 1 minute read
Passengers arrive in Phuket on Taigerair flight, photo by The Phuket Express.
Passengers arrive in Phuket on Taigerair flight, photo by The Phuket Express.

The first direct flight by Taiwan‘s Tigerair made its way to Phuket yesterday. The flight arrived at Phuket International Airport, carrying 190 passengers.

Airport officials and staff welcomed the passengers upon their arrival, The Phuket Express reported.

Last month, it was reported that Tigerair, a subsidiary of China Airlines, will be the only airline currently servicing the Taipei – Phuket route directly, twice per week.

Phuket will become the airline’s second destination in Thailand. Tigerair currently serves direct flights between Taoyuan and Don Mueang Airport (DMX) in Bangkok.

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Flights will depart from Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 12.20pm.

Departing from Phuket International Airport (HKT), flights will run on Wednesdays and Fridays at 4.45pm.

Phuket is not the only holiday hotspot in Thailand welcoming Taiwanese tourists. Back in January, Koh Samui welcomed its first Taiwanese tour group in nearly three years. The group of 142 tourists enjoyed Koh Samui’s nature tourism, as well as its temples and shrines.

Thailand welcomed over 8.5 million foreign tourists in the first four months of 2023, generating revenue of 353 billion baht, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

In total, 8,596,452 foreign tourists arrived in Thailand between January 1-April 30, 2023, generating 353.331 billion baht in tourism revenue. In April alone, a total of 2,130,715 foreigners entered Thailand.

The top 10 tourism markets in Thailand in 2023 so far are:
  1. Malaysia (367,530)
  2. China (328,375)
  3. India (131,230)
  4. Russia (115,743)
  5. South Korea (95,229)
  6. Vietnam (84,221)
  7. United States (70,977)
  8. United Kingdom (70,089)
  9. Laos (68,204)
  10. Hong Kong (67,771)

This year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is promoting tourism to foreigners under the campaign “Visit Thailand Year 2023: Amazing New Chapters,” which aims to promote sustainable and responsible tourism in Thailand, focusing on meaningful travel experiences.

Last year, 11.15 million foreign arrivals were recorded in Thailand, exceeding the TAT’s target of 10 million tourists. This year, the TAT expects 25 million foreign visitors.

The Bank of Thailand predicts that the Land of Smiles will see 28 million tourists this year.

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Tara Abhasakun

A Thai-American dual citizen, Tara has reported news and spoken on a number of human rights and cultural news issues in Thailand. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in history from The College of Wooster. She interned at Southeast Asia Globe, and has written for a number of outlets. Tara reports on a range of Thailand news issues.

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