All hands on deck for Songkran
Airlines, hotels and tourism operators are offering promotions to capitalise on a travel boom during Songkran, which starts on Thursday.
Campaigns have been launched both for before and after the festival.
Usanee Sangsingkeo, acting president of Thai Airways International (THAI), said the company arranged for its Airbus A380-800 to service higher demand on the BangkokNarita route for flights TG676 and TG677 during April 5-19.
THAI will also increase its flight frequencies to Japan from 75 to 82 weekly flights. Flights to South Korea will jump from 34 to 38 flights per week during the festival.
In the domestic market, the airline is also promoting packages for families of two adults travelling with one child from April 1 to Oct 31. The package includes breakfast and shuttle bus service from the airport to 100 participating hotels in Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Koh Samui.
THAI’s subsidiary budget carrier, THAI Smile Airways, and Nok Air have launched a new domestic route between Don Mueang and Mae Hong Son to promote secondary cities during Songkran.
The new service began on March 25 with three flights per week: Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
THAI Smile has also opened a new passenger lounge at Khon Kaen airport to address greater air travel demand during Songkran and also to serve business travellers to Khon Kaen year-round.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand forecasts that Thais will make 3 million trips during the long holiday weekend, which falls during April 12-16, while more than 530,000 foreign tourists are projected to visit Thailand during that time.
Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, president of Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT), the operator of six international airports, predicts that AoT airports will see a total of 17,550 flights during April 11-17, an 11.9% increase from the same period last year, and will carry more than 3.01 million passengers, up 14.4%.
“On average there will be 2,510 flights per day at our six international airports: Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Hat Yai,” Mr Nitinai said.
He said Suvarnabhumi airport will be the most swamped with travellers during Songkran, expecting to receive about 7,310 flights or 1,040 flights per day, followed by Don Mueang airport with 5,530 flights or 790 flights per day.
Phuket airport is expected to service 340 flights per day, followed by Chiang Mai (200 flights), Hat Yai (90) and Chiang Rai (50).
Mr Nitinai said Phuket airport’s passenger terminal is being renovated, with the work to be completed by June.
During Songkran, AoT plans to utilise areas in the north of the terminal to serve passengers.