Thailand
Cash-strapped Thai Airways plans to buy 20 to 30 aircraft in 2025

UPDATE: The acting president for Thai Airways says the company does not plan to buy more airplanes in 2025 and if flight demand goes up, the company will consider renting first. A source told Nation Thailand that the airline plans to buy more planes when the aviation industry recovers, but acting president Chansin Treenuchagron says that is just a “rumour.”
Read the update HERE.
Original story…
Cash-strapped Thai Airways International plans to buy 20 to even 30 aircraft by 2025, when the airline industry is expected to recover from the Covid-19 crisis. Thai Airways is currently coming up with a rehabilitation plan to recover from its roughly 300 billion baht debt and recently put 35 of its passenger planes up for sale. The 30 new airplanes could cost the company up to 100 billion baht.
Thai Airways will need to submit its plans for the purchase of new aircraft along with its business rehabilitation plan to the Central Bankruptcy Court on March 2. The new aircraft purchases are intended to strengthen the airline’s fleet and replace the sold and decommissioned planes. A source told Nation Thailand that the airline industry is expected to recover by 2025.
A major factor for the airline’s financial problems was the decision back in 2003 and 2004 to buy 10 Airbus A340-500 and A340-600 jets. Due to higher costs for maintenance and fuel, the A340 flights led to significant losses. All but 1 of them have been decommissioned and stored at the U-Tapao airport.
Last November, Thai Airways put 34 used passenger planes on the market in order to survive the financial crisis. Aircraft up for sale include Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 double decker jets.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
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Thailand
Thailand News Today | Changes to quarantine, ‘adult content’ ban continues | March 5

Thailand’s Public Health Minister is chairing a meeting next Monday, where a vaccine passport scheme and potential travel bubbles is on the agenda. Anutin says those who’ve been vaccinated against Covid-19 will be issued with a book to confirm their vaccination. It’s hoped this will make international travel easier, as well as boosting the public’s confidence and helping life return to some kind of normality.
In related news…. From next month, foreign visitors to the Kingdom will be able to experience the delights of “area quarantine”, after the government confirmed the scheme for 5 provinces. Following a meeting with the Public Health Ministry, the Tourism Minister confirmed that Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri and Surat Thani, which includes Koh Samui, have been chosen to pilot the scheme.
P**nhub and other adult websites are remaining blocked in Thailand as they apparently “conflict with good morals for upstanding citizens”. The Thai Government says the websites encourage “poor moral standpoints and can affect youth in a negative manner”.
The Acting Minister of Digital Economy and Society and current Minister of Culture says that the decision that was made by the previous office holder will be upheld. The decision also includes keeping other popular adult websites blocked as the Thai Government has labelled them to be “obscene”. But the move to ban adult content has brought protests with those disagreeing saying such sites are a part of freedom of expression.
A houseowner in the central province of Ang Thong, central Thailand, has discovered 3 skeletons on his land that are thought to be over 3,000 years old. 54 year old Somkiat Briboon says this most recent discovery isn’t the first, as the first lot of bones was found last year after preparing his 17 rai plot of land to be rented out for sugarcane farming.
The Thai PM says he’s ordered an investigation into allegations that the military has been using fraudulent social media accounts to aggravate the ongoing unrest in southern Thailand. Facebook has announced the removal of 185 accounts and groups that it has accused of “information-influencing”, targeting audiences in the deep south of the country, where Muslim insurgents continue to fight for independence. The PM says he’s tasked the Defence Ministry with looking into the matter and explaining it to the public.
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Thailand
Pro-democracy group to reach outskirts of Bangkok after almost 250 kilometre walk

A group of pro-democracy protestors, on an almost 250 kilometre walk, are expected to reach the outskirts of Bangkok today. The group has been walking for 17 days, starting from the Thao Suranaree statue in Korat province’s Muang district to protest the imprisonment of 9 pro-democracy demonstrators who are being denied bail.
The demonstrators imprisoned include 4 protest leaders from Ratsadon named Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, Anon Nampa, Somyot Pruksakasemsuk and Patiwat “Morlum Bank” Saraiyeam. The 247.5-kilometre march, named “Walk Through the Sky: Bring Back the People’s Power,” started on February 16. Jatupat “Pai Dao Din” Boonpattararaksa, from the student-led protest group Ratsadon, is leading the walking protesters and says they have been held in jail without bail since February 9.
The 4 are facing charges under Article 112, which prohibits lese-majeste, or the defaming of the Thai Royal Monarchy. Lese-majeste carries a jail sentence of 3 to 15 years. They are also facing charges of sedition under Article 116 of the Criminal Code, which carries a jail term of 7 years, as they are accused of organising pro-democracy rallies.
“The ignition and the fuel for the walk is simple. They have started to incarcerate our friends while denying their bail requests, which made it impossible for us to do nothing.”
The court has denied the demonstrators bail requests 4 times now, citing that their release would create more unrest.
Pai said he emphathises with the detained protestors as he has been imprisoned for lese-majeste before. He says he spent 2 years and 6 months in prison for sharing a BBC Thai’s biography of the monarch on Facebook.
“When I was in jail, there were people outside who were protesting for my release so now that my friends are in jail by an unfair law while being denied their right to political expression, I must come out and do something.”
“A walk is a type of a fight against injustice and we choose to fight this way in order to peacefully spread the words about police brutality, the uses of various laws to silence dissidents, the plights of the poor and the mismanagement of the government’s covid-relief measures and natural resources.”
The walk-in protest group is expected to reach Zeer Rangsit in Pathumthani around 5:30 pm today and will camp out near the department store before marching at the Bang Khen intersection tomorrow. On Sunday, the march is expected to end at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument.
SOURCE: Thai Enquirer
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
79 new cases today-COVID-19 Update

Today, the Thai government is reporting 79 new cases of Covid-19, with 65 locally-transmitted, and 14 imported, raising the total to 26,241 since the pandemic began. 1 new death has been reported, raising the total amount of deaths to 85. The new infections, which are now in the double-digits, shows Thailand’s Covid situation as improving according to the assistant spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, Panprapa Yongtrakul.
“The two-digit level of new cases found at hospitals and communities shows that the local Covid-19 situation is under control.”
The CCSA reports that 43 of the 65 local infections were found in communities with 22 of the 65 found in hospitals across 4 provinces.
Samut Sakhon province, the source of the second wave of Covid in the Kingdom, reported 77% of the new cases. Of the 50 cases found in the province, 38 were found in communities and 12 were found at hospitals.
Pathum Thani reported 8 new cases, with 3 being found at hospitals, and 5 in the community. Bangkok reported 6 new cases at hospitals and Chon Buri reported 1 infection found at a hospital. 12 of the 14 imported infections were quarantined arrivals from Russia, The United Arab Emirates, The United States, Slovenia, South Africa, Germany, Libya and Italy.
The other 2 imported cases were that of Thai women, who ellegedly returned from Myanmar illegally through a natural border crossing in Tak province, despite the government closing off natural border crossings after the February coup by the military in Myanmar.
Covid-19 cases rose worldwide by 446,747 over the past 24 hours to 116.21 million. The worldwide death toll rose by 9,955 to 2.58 million. The US still has the most cases at 29.53 million, rising by 68,321 over the past 24 hours, and the most deaths at 533,636, rising by 1,993 over the last 24 hours.
In light of the recent downturn in reported cases, Samut Sakhon has recently reopened 22 of its wet markets. However, the seafood market where the second wave of the Covid outbreak began, is not one of them, and it is not yet known when that might reopen.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Toby Andrews
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 4:20 pm
I recommend anyone who sell Thai Airways an aircraft demands cash on delivery.
No checks. No money transfers.
This airline will not even refund a one way ticket to Germany, that did not fly, so they certainly will not pay for an aircraft if they can swindle their way out of paying.
Slugger
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 5:50 pm
Yes, every airline in the world pays cash for it’s aircraft. Cretin.
Yan
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 8:08 pm
Except Thai…they only buy on credit…look at Thai households, it is all on credit.
Shane
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 8:26 pm
It’s “its”. Cretin.
Toby Andrews
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 11:45 pm
Yes despite all his other ignorance slugger cannot spell as well. A one line idiot.
Stefan Svensson
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 6:43 pm
It’s part of Thai DNA!
corwin
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 10:56 pm
All aircraft are on credit not only Thai airways
Me
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 4:31 pm
If you paid for the ticket by credit card get your bank to chase up the credit card people to ask for a chargeback on the money owed. it will likely be a quicker process than waiting for Thai airways.
I have had two refunds PAID via VISA for flights and currently have another chargeback via Mastercard under dispute with a different bank to the visa card bank.
Paul
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 4:42 pm
Heard and read Thai Airways acted through deeply corrupted managements and even tricked from technical staffs unions for many years, hence terrible number staff ratios against the profitable international competition like double the numbers required per planes in activity. Better be sold out before further losses for many years again. At least 40 or 50% of staff could be saved, a new good quality company would be available in Thailand And part debts paid.good luck for Thailand.
Ian
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 4:52 pm
Is this the same airline that was bankrupt a week ago another disaster in the making
Wayno
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 4:55 pm
“A major factor for the airline’s financial problems was
the……” Greed and dishonesty of the Thai people from the ground up.
Grumpy John
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 6:25 pm
Leasing would be better in these uncertain times. 2025 is still a long way away and even if the magic man in heaven whisked away the virus with the snap of his fingers it will take 3 to 4 years to get back to some sort of normality.
A lot of people have to worry about putting food on the table, paying rent or mortgage, car payments, school fees, insurance & rates. Holidays to Thailand….not on the radar!
Shane
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 8:32 pm
I believe most airlines lease their aircraft. A simple issue of cash flow. Aircraft are not cheap.
Jim kelly
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 9:38 pm
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…. I wonder if you can get bored laughing? Errr? No… HA HA HA HA HA!!!!
EdwardV
Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 11:31 pm
First thing they need to do is find someone who knows how to purchase planes. Buying the A340 toward the end of its life when it was already known to be expensive to operate was stupid. It’s why they only made about 380 A340s vs over 1,600 Boeing triple 7s. To then dump a bunch of money buying A380s? That was even dumber. They need to seriously rethink their business plan and purchase accordingly.
albert zweistein
Monday, February 22, 2021 at 1:24 am
Lord forgive them, They don’t know what they are talking about.
Toby Andrews
Monday, February 22, 2021 at 2:29 pm
I read above that Thai Airlines was buying aircraft.
I believed that.
Forgive me if this is not what airlines do. I have never bought an aircraft.
Still it makes sense. Who is going to lease an aircraft to Thai Airways?
They might sell it in south America.