Plea for flight: Provincial governor urges reconsideration after Thai Smile route closure

Thai Smile’s decision to discontinue flights from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Surat Thani Airport, beginning October 1, has led provincial governor, Witchawut Jinto, to appeal for a reversal. Jinto submitted a formal letter to Thai Smile, an affiliate of Thai Airways, requesting the continuation of the Suvarnabhumi-Surat Thani route.

The governor expressed public discontent over Thai Smile’s plans, which are set to take effect on the first day of the high season.

“It’s disheartening that Thai Smile will stop flights between Suvarnabhumi and Surat Thani as it is a very popular route.” He went on to highlight the route’s popularity amongst tourists visiting the neighbouring provinces.

Jinto revealed that the airport catered to 695,682 passengers in the first half of the year, with last month alone seeing 114,404 passengers across 754 flights. The governor voiced concerns that Thai Smile’s withdrawal could result in a shortage of flights to accommodate the high season’s passenger load.

“We want Thai Smile to reconsider its policy and keep the service to Surat Thani.”

In 2009, the airline had previously attempted to suspend the service. However, opposition from local businesses and individuals forced the company to abandon the proposal.

Currently, other airlines like Thai VietJet operate from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Surat Thani. Meanwhile, AirAsia, Nok Air, and Thai Lion Air offer flights from Don Mueang International Airport.

Last month a Thai Smile Airways flight had to make an emergency stop as it taxied down the runway after a foreign passenger demanded the plane returned to the terminal gate so he could pick up his left behind valuables at Chiang Mai International Airport.

A Thai TikTok user, bandzlam, shared a video of the incident when a foreign man urged a flight attendant to stop the plane because he forgot his belongings. The video recorder also panned to her left side showing that the plane was moving on the runway while the foreigner requested it to stop. Read more about what happened HERE.

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