Thai Airways

ICAO: THA Active as of Dec 11, 2025

118

Active Routes

1703

Flight Observations

62

Unique Destinations

58

Origin Airports

2172

Avg Route Distance (mi)

5958

Longest Route (mi)

4

Domestic Routes

96

International Routes
About Thai Airways

**

Thai Airways International (ICAO: THA) is the flag carrier airline of Thailand, established in 1960 as a joint venture between Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) and Thai Airways Company. In 1988, it merged with Thai Airways Company to form the airline known today. Its corporate headquarters are located in Bangkok, and its primary operational base is Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), with secondary hubs in Phuket and Chiang Mai.

As of November 2025, Thai Airways operates a fleet of 79 aircraft, consisting of a mix of wide-body and narrow-body aircraft from both Boeing and Airbus. The fleet includes models such as the Airbus A320-200, Airbus A330-300, Airbus A350-900, Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-8, and Boeing 787-9. The airline has a further 82 aircraft on order and aims to expand its fleet to 143 aircraft by 2029.

THAI's route network encompasses 51 international and 10 domestic destinations across 30 countries, primarily focusing on Europe, Asia, and Oceania as of March 2025. Thai Airways is also a founding member of the Star Alliance, the world's first and largest airline alliance, established on May 14, 1997. The airline offers various cabin classes, including Royal First Class, Royal Silk Class (Business Class), and Economy Class. Royal Silk Class on some routes provides 180° fully-flat seats, in-flight entertainment, Wi-Fi, and unique ground perks for departing passengers from Bangkok, such as a complimentary pre-flight massage.

What Travelers Say

Recent traveler reviews for Thai Airways generally highlight a positive experience, particularly concerning the airline's soft product. The overall sentiment is that of exceptional service, delicious food, and comfortable cabins.

What Travelers Love:**

  • Cabin Crew & Service: Passengers consistently praise the warm, friendly, and highly attentive service provided by the cabin crew.
  • In-flight Meals: The airline's catering receives high marks, with many travelers describing the food, especially the Thai cuisine, as amazing, tasty, and stellar. Some business class offerings even include caviar.
  • Cabin & Seat Comfort: Cabin comfort is often highlighted, with comfortable seating and the availability of fully-flat beds in business class on newer aircraft being particularly valued.

Common Complaints:

  • Inconsistent Hard Product/Older Aircraft: A recurring complaint is the inconsistency in the "hard product" across the fleet, with some older aircraft noted as needing refurbishment and having tighter seat configurations.
  • Entertainment/Wi-Fi (compared to competitors): While generally appreciated, the in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi options are sometimes perceived as less extensive or slower compared to those offered by other major international carriers, with limited free Wi-Fi.
  • Ground Customer Service & Delays: Some passengers have reported less satisfactory experiences with ground customer service, particularly concerning a perceived lack of responsibility for missed connections due to delays and difficulties with refund processes.

Overall sentiment summary: Thai Airways generally receives positive feedback for its exceptional in-flight service and catering. However, the travel experience can be inconsistent due to varying aircraft modernity, and some travelers have expressed frustration with ground operations and handling of delays.

**

Safety Information

Thai Airways has a strong safety record in recent times, though its history includes several notable incidents. Major accidents with fatalities occurred in 1980, 1985, 1987, 1992, and 1998, with the last fatal accident being Flight 261 in December 1998, which resulted in 101 fatalities due to pilot error and spatial disorientation during landing. More recent incidents, though non-fatal, include turbulence causing injuries in August 2025, a temporary runway excursion in September 2024, and a rejected takeoff due to uncontained engine failure in October 2019.

In terms of regulatory compliance, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) upgraded Thailand's air safety rating to Category 1 in April 2025, reversing a downgrade from 2015. This allows Thai airlines to resume direct flights to the U.S. and enter codeshare agreements with American carriers. Thai Airways also successfully passed the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Third Country Operator (TCO) Audit, receiving authorization for flight operations to European Union countries in December 2015. The airline's safety assessment by AirlineRatings.com is influenced by factors such as ICAO and IOSA audits.

As of January 2025, the average age of the Thai Airways fleet is 10 years, according to IBA Insight. By June 2025, this average remained at 10.2 years. The airline has been undertaking significant operational improvements and financial restructuring, which have positively impacted its safety assessment.

Based on available data, Thai Airways received an overall safety rating upgrade to a perfect 7/7** from AirlineRatings.com in June 2025. This upgrade was attributed to renewed confidence in the airline's financial stability and operational improvements, placing THAI in the top tier of global carriers for passenger safety. While not specific safety awards, Thai Airways was recognized at the Skytrax 2024 World Airline Awards, ranking 6th for World's Best Airport Services and 8th for World's Best Airline Cabin Crew and Best Airline Staff in Asia, demonstrating its commitment to high service standards which include safety and convenience.

Content generated by AI based on web research • Updated 2 weeks, 1 day ago
Route Network Map
Most Popular Routes
HDY → BKK
Hat Yai International Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
467 miles
84 flights
A320
CNX → BKK
Chiang Mai International Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
371 miles
58 flights
A320
BKK → HKT
Suvarnabhumi Airport → Phuket Int'l
419 miles
57 flights
A320
KBV → BKK
Krabi Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
404 miles
55 flights
A321
DEL → BKK
Indira Gandhi International Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
1834 miles
54 flights
A320
RGN → BKK
Yangon International Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
380 miles
43 flights
A320
PEN → BKK
Penang International Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
581 miles
43 flights
A320
BKK → CNX
Suvarnabhumi Airport → Chiang Mai Int'l
371 miles
40 flights
A320
BKK → HND
Suvarnabhumi Airport → Tokyo Int'l (Haneda)
2855 miles
38 flights
B77W
KKC → BKK
Khon Kaen Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
236 miles
37 flights
A320
Top Destinations
BKK (VTBS)
Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
949 flights
57 routes
HKT (VTSP)
Phuket Int'l
Phuket
57 flights
1 route
CNX (VTCC)
Chiang Mai Int'l
Chiang Mai
40 flights
1 route
HND (RJTT)
Tokyo Int'l (Haneda)
Ota
38 flights
1 route
ICN (RKSI)
Incheon Int'l
Seoul (Incheon)
32 flights
1 route
UTH (VTUD)
Udon Thani Int'l
Udon Thani
30 flights
1 route
KKC (VTUK)
Khon Kaen
Khon Kaen
30 flights
1 route
DEL (VIDP)
Indira Gandhi Int'l
New Delhi
28 flights
1 route
HDY (VTSS)
Hat Yai Int'l
Hat Yai / Songkhla
27 flights
1 route
LHR (EGLL)
London Heathrow
London
23 flights
1 route
Top Origin Airports
BKK (VTBS)
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Bangkok
754 flights
61 routes
HDY (VTSS)
Hat Yai International Airport
Hat Yai
84 flights
1 route
CNX (VTCC)
Chiang Mai International Airport
Chiang Mai
58 flights
1 route
KBV (VTSG)
Krabi Airport
Krabi
55 flights
1 route
DEL (VIDP)
Indira Gandhi International Airport
New Delhi
54 flights
1 route
RGN (VYYY)
Yangon International Airport
Yangon
43 flights
1 route
PEN (WMKP)
Penang International Airport
Penang
43 flights
1 route
VTE (VLVT)
Wattay International Airport
Vientiane
37 flights
1 route
KKC (VTUK)
Khon Kaen Airport
Khon Kaen
37 flights
1 route
BOM (VABB)
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport
Mumbai
36 flights
1 route
Top Border Crossing Flights
BKK (VTBS)
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Bangkok, TH
949 flights
57 routes
HND (RJTT)
Tokyo Haneda International Airport
Ota, JP
38 flights
1 route
ICN (RKSI)
Incheon International Airport
Seoul (Incheon), KR
32 flights
1 route
DEL (VIDP)
Indira Gandhi International Airport
New Delhi, IN
28 flights
1 route
LHR (EGLL)
London Heathrow Airport
London, GB
23 flights
1 route
Longest Routes
BKK → LHR
Suvarnabhumi Airport → London Heathrow
5958 mi
LHR → BKK
London Heathrow Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
5958 mi
BKK → CDG
Suvarnabhumi Airport → Charles de Gaulle/Roissy
5877 mi
CDG → BKK
Charles de Gaulle International Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
5877 mi
BRU → BKK
Brussels Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
5762 mi
Shortest Routes
SAI → BKK
Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
235 mi
BKK → KKC
Suvarnabhumi Airport → Khon Kaen
236 mi
KKC → BKK
Khon Kaen Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
236 mi
BKK → UTH
Suvarnabhumi Airport → Udon Thani Int'l
290 mi
UTH → BKK
Udon Thani Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
290 mi
All Routes
118 Total Routes
Showing 25 most popular routes
Route Destination Flights Distance Aircraft Last Seen
HDY → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
84 467 mi A320 Dec 10, 2025
CNX → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
58 371 mi A320 Nov 5, 2025
BKK → HKT Phuket Int'l
Phuket
57 419 mi A320 Dec 10, 2025
KBV → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
55 404 mi A321 Dec 11, 2025
DEL → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
54 1834 mi A320 Dec 8, 2025
RGN → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
43 380 mi A320 Dec 9, 2025
PEN → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
43 581 mi A320 Dec 9, 2025
BKK → CNX Chiang Mai Int'l
Chiang Mai
40 371 mi A320 Dec 5, 2025
BKK → HND Tokyo Int'l (Haneda)
Ota
38 2855 mi B77W Dec 9, 2025
VTE → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
37 321 mi A321 Dec 10, 2025
KKC → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
37 236 mi A320 Nov 28, 2025
BOM → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
36 1885 mi A333 Dec 10, 2025
HKT → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
34 419 mi A321 Sep 6, 2025
TPE → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
32 1548 mi A359 Nov 16, 2025
BKK → ICN Incheon Int'l
Seoul (Incheon)
32 2281 mi A359 Dec 9, 2025
BKK → UTH Udon Thani Int'l
Udon Thani
30 290 mi A321 Dec 5, 2025
BKK → KKC Khon Kaen
Khon Kaen
30 236 mi A321 Dec 4, 2025
LHE → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
28 2076 mi B772 Dec 5, 2025
HKG → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
28 1051 mi A321 Nov 17, 2025
BKK → DEL Indira Gandhi Int'l
New Delhi
28 1834 mi B788 Dec 9, 2025
BKK → HDY Hat Yai Int'l
Hat Yai / Songkhla
27 467 mi A320 Dec 7, 2025
SIN → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
26 881 mi A321 Dec 8, 2025
MNL → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
26 1361 mi B77W Dec 11, 2025
CEI → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
24 438 mi A320 Dec 9, 2025
BKK → LHR London Heathrow
London
23 5958 mi B77W Nov 29, 2025
Data Information:

Airline statistics are based on flight route observations collected from FlightAware AeroAPI and other sources. Flight counts represent observed operations, not scheduled frequencies. Route data is continuously updated as new flight information becomes available.

Data Freshness: Real-time
Last Update: Dec 11, 2025 06:02
Coverage: Observed routes only