Thai Prime Minister discusses the resumption of scheduled Thai Airways flights from Moscow to Bangkok with the management of the national carrier
Thai Prime Minister Settha Thavisin said he had received information about many Russian tourists wishing to travel to Thailand. However, there are not enough direct flights between the countries for Russians, the Khaosod newspaper reported.
In connection with the situation, the Prime Minister will consult with the management of Thailand’s national carrier, Thai Airways, about resuming regular flights between Moscow and Bangkok.
Thai Airways has already resumed flights between Istanbul and Bangkok, so the Prime Minister hopes that flights between Moscow and Bangkok will also resume soon.
The Prime Minister said that since the end of last year, when the visa-free period for Russian tourists was increased from 30 days to 90 days, Russian travellers have been entering Thailand throughout the Russian winter and staying in the kingdom for extended periods of time.
More than one million Russian travellers have expressed their desire to visit Thailand this year, which is welcome,” said Settha Thavisin.
In October 2023, the Thai government approved a one-way temporary tourist visa waiver scheme for Russian passport holders entering the Kingdom of Thailand between 1 November 2023 and 30 April 2024, allowing up to 90 days in the country.
The measure adopted by the government will make it easier for Russian tourists to visit Thailand and strengthen inter-ethnic ties between the two countries,” the government said.
“Tourism remains a key revenue-generating sector for the Thai economy. Therefore, it is important to encourage foreign tourists to travel and spend more money. After all, this creates jobs and generates income for the Thai people,” said Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsupkhakijkosol.
Thai Airways first launched regular round-trip flights between Bangkok and Moscow on 1 November 2005 and operated three weekly flights for 15 years.
However, on 24 March 2020, Thai Airways announced a temporary restriction on flights to Europe, including Moscow, due to the pandemic. Many countries have stepped up preventive measures, including closures.
In 2023, 28 million people visited Thailand, 11 million more than the year before. However, tourist arrivals are significantly lower than the 40 million people who visited the kingdom in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.
The Thai government has set a target of generating 3.5 trillion baht in revenue from 35 million foreign and 205 million domestic tourists by 2024.
Prime Minister Settha Thavisin also emphasised the importance of taking care of foreign tourists in terms of convenience and safety to create a positive impression throughout their trip to Thailand.
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