Qatar Airways plans to introduce a fifth daily non-stop service from Doha to Bangkok from June 1. The increased frequency, along with its double-daily Phuket flights and the five-month-old Krabi operations (four flights a week), will take the number of weekly Qatar Airways departures from Thailand to Doha to 53, the airline said in a statement.
In tandem with its expansion into Thailand, Qatar Airways has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to come together and boost inbound tourism to Thailand.
The MoU was signed by Qatar Airways chief commercial officer Ehab Amin in the presence of Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker and TAT’s deputy governor for International Marketing, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas, Tanes Petsuwan, at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.
They were joined by Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the TAT; Chalermsak Suranant, director of the TAT- Dubai and Middle East Office; and other high-ranking executives from both organisations.
Under the MoU, Qatar Airways - together with TAT - will put in place joint marketing strategies and practices to increase visibility and tourism to Thailand.
On the occasion, al-Baker said: “Boosting our Bangkok flight frequency to five daily flights is a significant commitment from us to the Thai market and testament to the strong year-round demand on this iconic Far East route.
“The partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand allows us to jointly work together to attract more travellers from secondary cities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to experience the warm and gracious hospitality Thailand is renowned for.”
The new daily flight will be served by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, providing an additional 254 seats per day.
Passengers travelling to other domestic points in Thailand can “connect seamlessly” with the Bangkok Airways codeshare flights to Chiang Rai, Udon Thani and Koh Samui, among others.
“Partnering with Qatar Airways, one of the world’s best airlines, will open up additional access to markets that hold great potential for the Tourism Authority of Thailand and our unique tourism proposition,” Petsuwan said.
For 2017, TAT has set a target of 34.5mn international visitors and some 1.81tn baht ($50bn) in international tourism receipts – which represents a 10% year-on-year increase.
Besides the existing three popular Thai destinations, Qatar Airways has also set its sights on Chiang Mai, the largest city in northern Thailand. Besides, to cater to the increase in premium cabin capacity, the airline will have its own premium lounge at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, the statement adds.
The schedule of the additional daily flight is as follows: QR826 departing Doha at 5.40pm and arriving in Bangkok at 4.25am (+1), and QR827 departing Bangkok at 5.55am and arriving in Doha at 8.25am.
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