CHIANG RAI, Thailand, 14 May 2024: Thai Vietjet has cancelled direct flights between Chiang Rai in far north Thailand and Phuket Island, a popular destination on the Andaman Sea coast in South Thailand.
The low-cost airline has not released a statement regarding the suspension. Still, its timetable for 1 to 31 May, filed with Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport and posted on its Facebook page, shows the last flight scheduled was on 12 May.
Flight Aware, a tracking service, confirmed that Flight VJ400 landed on time at Chiang Rai airport at 1025 on 12 May and that it was the last flight recorded on the route.
The airline started the direct route between Phuket and Chiang Rai in November 2023, using a 180-seat A320. It flew four times weekly: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The average roundtrip fare on the route was USD140.
Flight VJ400 departed Phuket at 0837 and landed at Chiang Rai airport at 1025.
Flight VJ400 departed Chiang Rai at 1055 and landed at Phuket airport at 1305.
Chiang Rai Airport lost its status as an ‘active’ international airport during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 when all international flights lapsed. Until the pandemic, a few Chinese airlines served Chiang Rai mainly with scheduled charters. It was possible to fly to Kunming in Yunnan province, and Hong Kong Express flew from Hong Kong three times a week. However, efforts to persuade Thai AirAsia to fly to Singapore failed after a single season back in 2019. Chiang Rai Airport is international in name only, and that will continue until the Airports of Thailand is prepared to waive landing fees and underwrite airline promotional campaigns to build traffic. It requires a long-term investment to support passenger and cargo flights to and from China. It might also help if the Chiang Rai skies were clear of smog rather than asking airlines to write off three months annually due to unhealthy air pollution.
Even Vietjet’s direct domestic flight from Phuket Island to Chiang Rai was doomed to failure as the airline’s fare on the direct Phuket – Chiang Mai route was considerably cheaper than quoted on the Phuket – Chiang Rai route. The two cities are just 180 km apart. Travellers flew to Chiang Mai and took the Green Bus to Chiang Rai, saving up to THB5,000 roundtrip on airfares. For a family on holiday, the difference in ticket pricing mounts up. Also travellers often combine visits to both cities and hire a car in Chiang Mai to explore the northern region.
The latest suspension leaves Chiang Rai Airport with five airlines concentrating entirely on serving the Bangkok – Chiang Rai route. There are no other domestic flight options from Chiang Rai.
During May, Vietjet, Thai Lion and Thai Airways International each fly three daily flights on the route. Nok Air flies twice daily, and AirAsia leads with five flights daily. The average roundtrip fare on Vietjet is USD40, Thai Lion USD67, AirAsia USD85 and THAI USD97.
Price checks show that USD30 roundtrip would be considered a bargain post-pandemic. Over the last 42 days, the best fares have been around USD40, which is pegged as high on the value scale. It suggests Chiang Rai residents deserve a better deal when flying to Bangkok. Fares out of Chiang Mai are likely to be lower, and there is a choice of other domestic destinations.
