BANGKOK, 5 September 2023: Thai Airways International will resume nine domestic routes previously served by its low-cost subsidiary airline Thai Smile during the winter flight schedule from October 2023 to March 2024.
From its home base at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, THAI will fly to Krabi (KBV), Khon Kaen (KKC), Phuket (HKT), Narathiwat (NAW), Chiang Mai (CNX), Chiang Rai (CEI), Hat Yai (HDY), Udon Thani (UTH) and Ubon Ratchathani (UBP) using A320 aircraft.
Of the nine routes, THAI and Thai Smile both served Chiang Mai, Krabi, and Phuket.
2023
Bangkok-Chiang Mai, five flights daily, starting 29 October 2023.
Bangkok-Phuket, eight flights daily, starting 1 December 2023.
Bangkok-Udon Thani, three flights daily, starting 1 December 2023
2024
Bangkok-Krabi, two flights daily, starting 1 January 2024.
Bangkok-Khon Kaen, four flights daily, starting 1 January 2024.
Bangkok-Narathiwat, one flight daily starting 1 January 2024.
Bangkok-Chiang Rai, two flights daily starting 1 January 2024.
Bangkok-Hat Yai, three flights daily, starting 1 January 2024.
Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani, two flights daily starting 1 January 2024.
Thai Smile will wind down operations and prepare to merge with its parent airline in early 2024. In 2022, Thai Smile had a network of 16 destinations in Thailand and 14 regional destinations in Asia served by A320s. The low-cost airline started flying on 7 July 2012 on domestic and regional routes within the range of Boeing 737s or A320s, leaving THAI to concentrate on long-haul international routes as the premier national airline using wide-bodied aircraft, including six A380s that are now up for sale.
According to a report in Thaiger, a local online news service, Thai Smile will ditch its daily service from Bangkok to Surat Thani at the end of November. However, flights are still bookable on the Thai Airways International website, which shows Thai Smile operating the service.