airlines

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Is wearing face masks in Thailand mandatory?

    Thailand News Today | Is wearing face masks in Thailand mandatory?

    Legally, we can’t force you to do it, but just do it, okay? That seems to be the message from Thailand’s Public Health Minister in relation to the wearing of face masks. According to a report from the National News Bureau of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul has confirmed there’s no legal mandate for the wearing of face masks…. at least that’s…

  • Transport NewsCivil Aviation Authority of Thailand says Thai 5G is not an issue

    Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand says Thai 5G is not an issue

    After a wave of flight cancellations and airline schedule and equipment reshuffling in the US, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand spoke up to reaffirm that 5G signals in Thailand do not have any conflicts or negative effects on aircraft or flight equipment. The CAAT explained that, in Thailand, 5G bandwidth is on a different wavelength than anything used in…

  • World News5G causes airlines to cancel or rearrange flights to the US

    5G causes airlines to cancel or rearrange flights to the US

    Fear of 5G interference around American airports is spurring airlines from around the world to cancel or reschedule flights to the US. At least 25 flights to the US were cancelled today with many airlines saying they will cancel more as they scrambled to change the type of aircraft used to avoid interference as AT&T and Verizon Communications roll out…

  • TravelTravel Tips: Top low-cost airlines for Thailand 2022

    Travel Tips: Top low-cost airlines for Thailand 2022

    Thailand is an ideal country to travel to on a budget, especially when it comes to booking flights. Slightly larger than Spain, flying cross this tropical country is a breeze, ensuring short flights and cheap prices. Meanwhile, Thailand’s central location makes it the perfect launching pad for exploring Southeast Asia, with neighbouring Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to the east and…

  • Thailand News6.2 billion baht earmarked by Exim Bank for bailout for airlines

    6.2 billion baht earmarked by Exim Bank for bailout for airlines

    Local airlines are getting a cash injection as the Export-Import Bank of Thailand has given over 6.2 billion baht to keep them afloat and planes in the sky. The financial assistance is aimed to increase liquidity and restructure airline debt to stay solvent through the long-lasting Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Exim Bank president. The bank is starting out by…

  • Covid-19 NewsTravel chaos continues into the week, Omicron and weather blamed

    Travel chaos continues into the week, Omicron and weather blamed

    Rising Omicron infections, together with poor winter weather, are wreaking havoc on US airlines with nearly 1,000 flights affected yesterday – some cancelled, other postponed. The chaos is also hitting other parts of the world as tens of thousands of Christmas/new year travellers try to keep up with the dynamic situation. Yesterday’s cancellations and postponements mark a fourth day of travel…

  • Tourism NewsCivil Aviation Authority notifies airlines of new regulations for entering Thailand

    Civil Aviation Authority notifies airlines of new regulations for entering Thailand

    A notice from Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority has been issued to airlines to advise them of the new conditions for entering the kingdom. The move follows the suspension of the Test & Go system and all sandbox schemes with the exception of Phuket’s. The government took the decision to suspend the schemes as a result of the recently emerged Omicron…

  • World NewsTaiwanese co-pilot pays off NT0,000 fine for breaching quarantine rules

    Taiwanese co-pilot pays off NT$800,000 fine for breaching quarantine rules

    According to the Taipei branch of the Administrative Enforcement Agency (AEA), a co-pilot of a Taiwanese airline has paid off a punishment of NT$ 800,000 (US$ 28,551) for breaching of Covid-19 quarantine rules earlier this year. The co-pilot, identified in the media as Chung, was found to have left his home three times to visit friends and buy food while…

  • Tourism NewsThai flights up 25%, experts suggest travel bubbles, cheaper Covid tests

    Thai flights up 25%, experts suggest travel bubbles, cheaper Covid tests

    Thailand’s reopening isn’t just a boost for Thai tourism businesses; it also provided a ray of hope in Asia for the battered airline industry as the first reopening in the region. The Executive Chairman of Thai AirAsia’s largest shareholder, Asia Aviation, says this sets the tone for flights, the tourism economy, and businesses in the country. Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok,…

  • Business NewsAir Asia boss: Recovery in 3 months if countries ditch quarantine, testing

    Air Asia boss: Recovery in 3 months if countries ditch quarantine, testing

    The chief executive of the Air Asia Group says the aviation sector could return to normal in about 3 months, if governments ditch quarantine and PCR testing. Tony Fernandes says if countries can re-open without such requirements, demand will rise significantly. According to a Bangkok Post report, Air Asia has sold over 300,000 tickets to Langkawi since the island re-opened.…

  • Thailand video newsPirate in Thailand, Traveling, TAT fee, Thai Coffee | Thaiger Bites | Ep. 37

    Pirate in Thailand, Traveling, TAT fee, Thai Coffee | Thaiger Bites | Ep. 37

    Jay and Tim go through viewer comments from our Youtube shows and the Thaiger talk forum as a Thaiger is unleashed!

  • Business NewsThai AirAsia suspends flights, cuts salaries as financial woes continue

    Thai AirAsia suspends flights, cuts salaries as financial woes continue

    As Thailand’s airlines continue to struggle with the financial fallout from Covid-19, Thai AirAsia has suspended all flights for this month. The carrier is also cutting staff salaries or deferring partial or whole payment until September. According to a Bangkok Post report, the airline’s financial woes are worsening as low passenger numbers show no sign of improving and cash flow…

  • Business NewsThailand’s airlines feeling the pinch with no government support

    Thailand’s airlines feeling the pinch with no government support

    Asia Aviation, the largest shareholder in Thai AirAsia, says the latest partial lockdown threatens TAA’s financial status, with no government aid forthcoming. AA executive chairman Tassapon Bijleveld says the industry has been limping along without any help for over a year now and wants to know how the government expects to collect tax once large businesses collapse. In a Bangkok…

  • World NewsAirlines participate in trials of IATA Travel Pass app

    Airlines participate in trials of IATA Travel Pass app

    A number of airlines worldwide are participating in trials of a Travel Pass app from the International Air Transport Association. TTR Weekly reports that at Montréal-Trudeau airport in Canada, Air France is trialling the app for outbound flights until July 15, just one of a number of airlines testing it globally. The app is designed to ease passengers’ concerns about…

  • Tourism NewsCovid-19 delivers another brutal quarter for airlines

    Covid-19 delivers another brutal quarter for airlines

    As the Covid-19 pandemic drags on, airlines experienced another terrible quarter, with less passengers and less revenue year-on-year. The president of Bangkok Airways reported dismal numbers saying that the airline is adjusting its flight plans to try to match the depressed market. Only 151,900 travellers flew on Bangkok Airways in the first quarter of 2021, an 88.5% drop over last…

  • Thailand NewsAirlines can face penalties for failure to check passengers’ Certificate of Entry – CAAT

    Airlines can face penalties for failure to check passengers’ Certificate of Entry – CAAT

    Airlines with routes to Thailand are told to check passengers’ Certificate of Entry, a required document to travel to Thailand, prior to departure. Airlines will face penalties if they allow passengers who don’t have the required documentation to land in Thailand, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand warns. If passengers do not have their COE prior to boarding the aircraft,…

  • Tourism NewsJet fuel tax reduction extended again to aid airlines, tourism

    Jet fuel tax reduction extended again to aid airlines, tourism

    A tax reduction, for jet fuel that has been in place to help the airline industry during the Covid-19 pandemic, has been extended until the end of 2020. With international travel decimated, this tax cut is aimed to help airlines stay afloat and get more customers with lower prices while travel figures are massively down. The extension was scheduled to…

  • Tourism NewsBusy in BKK – dust off the planes, Thais are travelling again! VIDEO

    Busy in BKK – dust off the planes, Thais are travelling again! VIDEO

    BKK is busy, well, compared to the last 10 months in Thailand. Bangkok’s two airports were closed as part of the 2020 ‘lockdown’ and only reopened at the end of May after about 8 weeks, and only to domestic traffic (with some limited international repatriation, cargo, and a few passenger flights). Over the past 10 months Tim has been flying…

  • Tourism NewsPhuket Airport welcomes first 7 day quarantine travellers

    Phuket Airport welcomes first 7 day quarantine travellers

    In the early hours of Saturday, a flight arrived at Phuket International Airport welcoming the first travellers to benefit from the reduced mandatory quarantine launched on April 1. The reduction of the isolation period is part of the 4 stages of fully reopening Thailand to international tourism, planned to roll out over the next 8 months (and probably into early…

  • Thailand NewsAirlines in Thailand push for July reopening and quicker roll out of vaccinations for employees

    Airlines in Thailand push for July reopening and quicker roll out of vaccinations for employees

    Airline operators in Thailand are seeking a July reopening date and are pushing to get workers vaccinated against Covid-19 within the next 2 months, along the same timeline as many in the travel sector prepare for July’s anticipated launch of the “sandbox” scheme in Phuket. Under the sandbox model, vaccinated travellers will be able to travel to the island province…

  • Business NewsSlow return of foreign tourism makes more redundancies inevitable – Airlines Association of Thailand

    Slow return of foreign tourism makes more redundancies inevitable – Airlines Association of Thailand

    The president of the Airlines Association of Thailand says further layoffs in the sector are inevitable, due to the slow return of international tourism. In a Bangkok Post report, Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth says the sluggish revival of foreign tourism, now not expected until the last quarter of the year, means all carriers continue to face financial hardship. And while there was…

  • Tourism NewsPhuket lifts mandatory quarantine restrictions for ‘high risk’ arrivals. But were they ever applied?

    Phuket lifts mandatory quarantine restrictions for ‘high risk’ arrivals. But were they ever applied?

    Culminating 2 weeks of mass confusion over the apparent mandatory self-quarantine for arrivals to Phuket from Bangkok and other high risk provinces, Phuket’s provincial communicable disease committee has agreed to lift the mandatory 14 day quarantine “to help boost the local economy hit by the Covid-19 pandemic”. But for the vast majority of arrivals from Bangkok (DMK and BKK) to…

  • Covid-19 NewsCovid-19 travel pass to pilot on Etihad and Emirates Airways flights

    Covid-19 travel pass to pilot on Etihad and Emirates Airways flights

    A travel pass for passengers inoculated against Covid-19 or who have tested negative will be piloted on flights for Dubai’s Emirates and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways. With the travel pass issued by the International Air Transport Association, passengers can keep control of their data and share their test results with airlines and authorities for travel. The travel pass will be…

  • Tourism NewsCan I travel around Thailand? Mor Chana app?

    Can I travel around Thailand? Mor Chana app?

    Yes. But for people travelling around Thailand at the moment there is still quite a lot of confusion and misinformation about where you can travel to and additional restrictions on travel. Statistically, and with the usual precautions, you are very unlikely to catch Covid-19. We’ll continue to publish any updates to this information on travel at thethaiger.com For people travelling…

  • Covid-19 NewsInflight catering ban on domestic flights in Thailand amid Covid-19 surge

    Inflight catering ban on domestic flights in Thailand amid Covid-19 surge

    Damn. I was looking forward to another stale sandwich wrapped in 7 layers of plastic, unable to open it for fear of elbowing the lady next to me, on my flight today. Airlines flying domestic routes within Thailand have been instructed to not serve inflight meals or drinks from today. The ban has been introduced by the Civil Aviation Authority…

  • Visa InformationWelcome to 2021 – Digital Covid Passports | VIDEO

    Welcome to 2021 – Digital Covid Passports | VIDEO

    Documentation, including your current Covid status and vaccination details, will become 2021’s biggest challenge as governments, businesses, and the travel industry try and re-establish some sort of workable way forward. Several companies and technology groups are developing smartphone apps or systems for individuals to upload details of their Covid-19 tests and vaccinations, creating digital credentials that could be shown in…

  • Tourism NewsBangkok is the best leisure city in the Asia Pacific – Business Traveller Asia-Pacific

    Bangkok is the best leisure city in the Asia Pacific – Business Traveller Asia-Pacific

    Despite few travellers actually being able to visit Thailand’s capital, including ‘business travellers, readers of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific have again named Bangkok the ‘Best Leisure City in the Asia-Pacific’. The Big Mango retains the top ranking on the list for the 5th consecutive year. Bangkok also got third place in the ranking of the Best Business city in the Asia.…

  • Thailand NewsFlights grounded, Thai Airways pilot becomes Grab driver

    Flights grounded, Thai Airways pilot becomes Grab driver

    Some pilots are spending more time on the ground these days due to the pandemic-induced travel restrictions. One Thai Airways pilot is using his time away from the air to get to know the traffic on the ground as a Grab driver. “The sky is closed,” pilot Mahesak Wongpa wrote on Facebook in a post sharing his story about becoming a…

  • Tourism NewsSuvarnabhumi’s new terminal ready for 2022

    Suvarnabhumi’s new terminal ready for 2022

    The extension of the Suvarnabhumi terminal will be operational by the start of 2022, according to Thai transport minister Saksayam Chidchop. The new Satellite Terminal 1 at Suvarnabhumi International Airport will increase the total capacity of Thailand’s largest airport terminal by 15 million passengers a year, allowing the total airport capacity to cope with traffic up to 90 million per…

  • World NewsUp to 5,900 jobs to go as Hong Kong carrier Cathay Dragon shuts down

    Up to 5,900 jobs to go as Hong Kong carrier Cathay Dragon shuts down

    Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific is set to close its subsidiary, Cathay Dragon, with the loss of up to 5,900 jobs. The carrier, that used to be called Dragon Air before being absorbed by Cathay, has become yet another casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic that has decimated the aviation business. The Bangkok Post reports that 5,300 jobs are expected to…