Kazakhstan’s first direct flight lands in Surat Thani

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Scat Airlines today celebrated the inaugural direct flight from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Surat Thani. The flight carrying 212 passengers, landed at Surat Thani International Airport this morning at 7.30am.

The Thai Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Chatchawan Sakornsinsuwan, accompanied the flight, along with Kazakhstani travel operators and media, receiving a warm welcome from local officials.

Surat Thani’s Deputy Governor, Nanthawat Charoenwan, Airport Director Suksawat Sukhawanno, TAT Deputy Governor for Domestic Marketing Somrudi Chitchong, and Europe Region Director Jirawadee Khunsub, were all present to greet the passengers.

Somrudi highlighted the collaboration between a major Kazakhstani tour company Selfie Travel, Fun & Sun, and Scat Airlines in launching this direct charter flight route from Almaty to Surat Thani.

The Boeing 737-Max, with a capacity of 212 seats, will operate flights every ten days from May to September this year, totalling 13 flights. The inaugural flight carried 30 Kazakhstani travel operators and 12 media representatives.

TAT marked the occasion with a water salute for the arriving flight and handed out elephant keychain souvenirs to passengers and scarves to the cabin crew, reinforcing the Amazing Thailand brand.

Secondary city tourism

The choice of Surat Thani International Airport as a destination aligns with TAT’s long-haul market strategy, which aims to expand airline routes to both major and secondary cities in Thailand.

This strategy supports increased travel from Kazakhstan and nearby CIS regions, including Russia, to popular Thai destinations such as Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Tao, and other areas in Surat Thani and Krabi, especially during Kazakhstan’s summer season from May to September.

Kazakhstan emerged as a promising market in 2023, with high spending potential. The number of Kazakhstani tourists visiting Thailand increased by 190% compared to 2022, reaching 172,282 visitors, the highest number recorded.

In line with this growth, the governments of Thailand and Kazakhstan signed a tourism cooperation agreement on March 23. Thailand extended the visa exemption period for Kazakhstani passport holders, allowing stays of up to 30 days until August 31, which is expected to further boost tourism from Kazakhstan.

From January 1 to April 29, 95,463 Kazakhstani tourists visited Thailand, with 74.11% travelling in tour groups and staying an average of 9.81 nights. The average expenditure per person per trip was 75,080 baht. Popular destinations included Phuket, Chon Buri, and Krabi.

TAT believes that the new direct flights by Scat Airlines and government travel incentives will increase the number of Central Asian tourists and provide more travel options to Thailand. This is expected to contribute significantly to achieving the target of 220,000 Kazakhstani tourists in 2024, reported Khaosod.