‘Nong Fah’ leads THAI’s data upgrade

Thai Airways International Plc (THAI) is embracing chatbots and big data analytics to gain insight into customers and boost online sales.

“This year, THAI aims to increase the online revenue proportion from 23% to 25% of total revenue, thanks to the advanced features of data analytics,” said Pariya Chulkaratana, vice-president for e-commerce and ancillary marketing.

Speaking at a seminar hosted by Microsoft, she said the company aims to use data analytics to better understand the customer’s journey and provide a “personalised website”.

The site will offer a predictive onestop service for flight information, hotel booking and car rental.

Moreover, THAI recently introduced “Nong Fah”, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot capable of responding to customer inquiries at www.thaiairways.com.

Nong Fah is available 24/7 to provide instantaneous replies to questions about promotional offers, advance check-in, flight schedule, official merchandise and travel extras.

“Soon we will have a voice-based digital assistant and marketing campaign offered at different channels suited to customer preference, such as Line, SMS or email,” Mrs Pariya said.

The company will also expand its payment channel next month by accepting QR code payment and Samsung Pay. Samsung Pay has 400,000 users in Thailand.

“This will enable the company to reach youngsters and digital lifestyle customers,” Mrs Pariya said. “THAI is embracing digital technology in our organisation, not just to drive the business forward, but to transform it for the future.”

The company’s website saw 30 million visitors in 2017, up 15% year-on-year.