CHIANG MAI, 11 August 2022: Nok Air introduced 2 August, a new cross-country flight from the northern city of Chiang Mai to Nakhon Ratchasima in northeast Thailand.
In a media statement, the airline said the direct service would boost leisure and business travel between the two cities without the need to fly to Bangkok to connect with a service to Nakhon Ratchasima, located around 240 km northeast of the Thai capital.
Convenience comes at a price, as the airline lists a starting fare of THB6,628 for the roundtrip. Flight time using a Bombardiar Q400 aircraft is around one hour and 30 minutes.
Flying twice-weekly from Chiang Mai on Friday and Sunday, the service departs at 2045 and arrives in Nakhon Ratchasima at 2215. On the Nakhon Ratchasima to Chiang Mai sector, the flight departs at 0530 and arrives in Chiang Mai at 0700.
Nok Air promotes the new route through its Facebook page without mentioning fare promotions on its website. Bookings can be made throughout August, but so far, online bookings are not active for September. That could suggest the route is experimental, and the airline may have to rethink its timetable for September. Most comments on Facebook regarding the new route suggest passengers prefer direct flights from northeast cities to beach resorts in southern Thailand such as Krabi, Phuket and Hua Hin.
In the meantime, Nok Air remains confident that the Chiang Mai – Nakhon route will serve trade, tourism and education, plus a boost for the visiting friends and relatives market that is relatively strong between the two cities.
