Thai Airways

Thai Airways has a fleet of 57 planes (if you count the fleet of its subsidiary Thai Smile, which uses only narrow-body medium-haul aircraft) from Airbus and Boeing. Thai Airways flies to Melbourne, Sydney, Dhaka, Phnom Penh, Beijing, Shanghai, Delhi, Jakarta, Rome, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Karachi, Singapore, Seoul and London, as well as to a number of other major cities.

History of Thai Airways

Founded in 1960 as a new division formed by Scandinavian Airlines Systems Corporation and local carrier Thai Airways Company. The main objective was to serve new international routes using SAS Corporation’s experience in management and marketing in international air transportation.

Historical Company Events:

• In May 1960, the first commercial flights to 9 cities in Asia are launched from Bangkok. Along with the receipt of Douglas DC-8 planes, intercontinental flights to Australia and Europe are organized. In the late 1907s, the carrier acquired several Douglas DC-10 wide-body airliners to offer passengers more service options.
• In 1977 it was bought outright by the Thai government, which remained the majority shareholder until May 2020. In April 1988, all international and domestic flights operated by different holdings were transferred to the newly restructured Thai Airways International, and in June 1995 the shares appeared on the stock exchange. In 1997 privatization of the company began.
• In 1997, along with Lufthansa, Air Canada, SAS and United Airlines, Thai Airways International became a founding member of the first global airline alliance, Star Alliance. At the same moment, the company began indiscriminate purchase of planes, which led to problems with maintenance and pilot training.
• In the 2000s it began expansion in Europe and the Middle East, operating flights from Thailand to Chengdu, Busan, Chennai, Milan, Moscow, Islamabad, Johannesburg and Oslo. In 2005, using a fleet of Airbus A340-500s, it operated flights to New York, but 3 years later, the high cost of fuel forced Thai Airways to change tactics and stop using direct long-haul flights as the basis of its business model. Flights to North America were operated only with a connection in Seoul.
• In 2010 it ordered several new Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 planes. During the same period, the Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 cabins were completely remodeled. In 2012, some previously suspended flights to Brussels, Stockholm and Phuket-Copenhagen were resumed.
• After passing the audit of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand in 2015, the country’s carriers were downgraded to Category 2. This decision was made by the US Federal Aviation Administration. In the same year, the company received the status of a third-world country operator from the European Airline Safety Association (EASA). In 2017, the subsidiary Thai Smile was assigned to serve domestic flights to Cebu, Medan, Surabaya and several other cities.
• In February 2023, Thai Smile and Thai Ariways were announced to merge by 2024 to reduce corporate costs.

Thai Airways fleet

For 2025, 12 planes from the Airbus A321neo series have been ordered, as well as several new Airbus A350-900s for several long-haul flights within the Asian region. The average age of the fleet is 9 years.

*— Royal First Class service

Flight destinations from Russia

Passenger service classes

Passengers flying on Thai Airways planes can purchase tickets in 3 classes of service:

• Economy;
• Royal Silk – business class analog;
• Royal First Class.

Within each there are several tariffs, allowing you to choose the best package of services and additional options depending on your budget.

Royal Orchid Plus Loyalty Program

All Thai Airways passengers earn miles when they fly and can earn one of 4 Royal Orchid Plus statuses when they reach a certain number of bonus miles.

Thai Airways is a founding member of the Star Alliance, and therefore all privileges on Royal Orchid Plus correspond to statuses in the Star Alliance program.

Royal Orchid Plus Statuses:

The amount of mileage accruals depending on the class of service is as follows:

Additional modifiers are used for cardholders of upgraded status in the Star Alliance or Royal Orchid Plus loyalty program: Silver (+5%), Gold (+10%) and Platinum (+20%).

Miles can be spent on additional services and products:

• Purchase tickets with miles or a combination of miles and cash;
• Payment for accommodation at Star Alliance and Royal Orchid Plus partner hotels;
• Payment for extra baggage or oversized baggage;
• Purchase access to Royal First Class and Royal Silk Class lounges in Bangkok.

Baggage rules and regulations

Depending on the flight destination, passengers must follow different norms for checked-in cargo. Free fare norms on Thai Airways and Thai Smile domestic flights:

Free baggage allowance on Thai Airways international flights:

Free baggage allowance on trans-Pacific flights (to the US and Canada):

Regardless of flight type and plane model, 1 bag must not exceed 158 cm (62 inches).

You can take personal belongings into the cabin free of charge:

• A clutch, purse or wallet measuring 37.5 x 25 x 12.5 cm and weighing no more than 1.5 kg. Any portable personal devices are included in this category.
• Canes, crutches and other items necessary for normal mobility by a passenger due to age, disability or illness.
• Food for infants.

Rates for additional checked baggage on international flights in US dollars:

Zone decoding according to the system adopted by Thai Airways:

• Zone 1 – Bangladesh, Cambodia, China (Kunming), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur.
• Zone 2 – Brunei, China (Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou), Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan.
• Zone 3 – Australia (Perth), Bahrain, Japan, Korea, Oman, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Iran.
• Zone 4 – Australia (Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne), Egypt, Israel, Madagascar, Turkey and Russia.
• Zone 5 – European Union, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom.

Zone 6 (U.S. and Canada) is not yet serviced or available for additional excess baggage.

Domestic flights use a different fare (in Thai Baht):

• From Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Ubonratchathani – 60;
• From Bangkok to Chiang Rai, Krabi and Phuket – 70;
• From Bangkok to Khokeng and Udon Thani – 55.

Check-in for Thai Airways flights

You can use several ways to check-in for your flight:

• At a counter or kiosk at the airport. Opens 2 – 3 hours (depending on the airport), ends 50 minutes before departure. Kiosks start 12 hours before departure and are located at Bangkok, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, London (Heathrow), Tokyo (Narita) and Fukuoka airports.
• On the website thaiairways.com in the reservations management section or check-in section. You will need your reservation number.
• On the THAI Mobile app (available on AppStore and Google Play) with your reservation number. If there is no luggage, you can proceed directly to boarding.
• With e-Ticket electronic boarding pass printing. You can get the form and print it from the website and then go straight to boarding.

Contact Thai Airways

The company provides an excellent level of customer support. Employees answer calls in English and respond quickly, directing calls to local support offices when available.