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Wednesday, March 12, 2025
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Thailand to Increase Domestic Flight, Reduce Airfares for Thai New Year Holiday

This Week

Airlines in Thailand will operate 124 additional domestic flights during the Songkran (Thai New Year) holiday to meet the expected surge in demand.

On 10 March, Thailand’s Transport Minister, Suriya Jungrungreangkit, announced plans to add 25,000 additional seats to domestic flights and reduce airfares by 30 percent on select routes in preparation for the busy Songkran period.

This move comes as the country anticipates a significant surge in travelers from 11-17 April.

To accommodate the high demand while keeping fares affordable, Suriya proposed that six major airlines under the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) — Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air, and Thai Vietjet Air — provide an additional 25,000 seats. This will be achieved by operating more than a hundred extra flights throughout the holiday period.

The airlines have agreed to the proposal and will cooperate to make air travel more accessible for passengers during the festive season.

Laos, on the other end, has yet to announce any initiatives to accommodate the potential influx of tourists for its own New Year celebrations (Pi Mai Lao), which coincide with Songkran in mid-April.

In 2024, the country actively prepared for increased tourism through the Visit Laos Year 2024 campaign. This initiative focused on improving infrastructure and services, including upgrading tourist facilities, enhancing road signage, and expanding hiking and camping sites.

This resulted in Luang Prabang alone attracting over 68,700 domestic tourists and more than 41,500 international visitors during last year’s Pi Mai Lao period.

Additionally, Laos earned a spot as the fourth best destination on the “Lonely Planet” travel guidebook’s list of the Top 30 Best Places to Visit in 2025, joining the ranks of Cameroon, Lithuania, Fiji, and Kazakhstan

These achievements set the stage for an even larger crowd expected to celebrate the Lao New Year in April this year.

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