End of zero-dollar tours: Three Thai airlines under pressure
With the zero-dollar tours approach, many Chinese tourists are staying away. The number of Chinese entering Thailand has fallen from 13.000 a day in August to 4.000. Three airlines now have liquidity problems as a result and have been notified by the CAAT.
The three Thai airlines, whose names have not been released, have been instructed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) to provide financial justification this month. If they do not come up with a balanced budget before the deadline, they risk measures such as suspension of the license to fly.
The water is on the lips of the companies. They are in debt and cannot afford fuel costs and landing fees. CAAT director Chula (pictured) says these are airlines that are mainly dependent on the Chinese market. The decision to suspend the license must be made by Prime Minister Prayut. The CAAT has not yet banned them from continuing ticket sales, as the financial problems only concern the Chinese routes.
Tour operators say 70 percent of flights from China have been cancelled. The Minister of Tourism will discuss the problems this week with the travel agents. She still expects the number of Chinese tourists to reach 9,2 million this year (7,9 million in 2015).
Source: Bangkok Post
I would like to know which companies they are. I have booked flights with Nok Air for December (Bangkok Don Mueang – Khon Kaen) and January 2017 (back)… Hopefully these flights will not be canceled…
I would also like to have information about this, just like Daniel, I have also booked several flights from December 1 to January 31 with nok air and nokscoot? anyone any info? patrick
i see here every day in khon kaen nok air taking off and landing they don't fly to china i thought in laos and thailand so don't worry
As far as I know, Nok Air does not fly to China, so I wouldn't worry about it.
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http://nokair.com/content/en/travel-info/where-we-fly.aspx
The ticket sales are not banned, because the problems relate to the Chinese market?
The logic escapes me a bit, because if you as an airline don't have money to buy Kerosene, you can't fly on all your other routes either.
The only logic I see in it is that the companies go bankrupt immediately if they have to stop selling tickets.
Now the risk lies with the future traveler.
There is an article on the Bangkok Post site that visa fees will expire in the next 3 months while visa arrival fees will be cut in half.
There is also now talk of a 10-year visa for the elderly.
Both seem to be aiming to compensate for disappointing visitor numbers.
But, in the above article someone is quoted who indicates that there will be a lot more Chinese coming this year, even with 70℅ cancellations from China.
I suspect that Saddam's Iraqi intelligence officer escaped during the Gulf War and fled to Thailand.