THAI offers heavy discount

BANGKOK, May 3 (TNA) - Thai Airways International (THAI), the national flag carrier, has offered a heavy discount to passengers for both domestic and international flights. THAI Acting President Chokchai Panyayong told journalists that, in an attempt to boost the company's aviation businesses amid impacts from prolonged domestic political protests and fierce competition among rival airlines, THAI is organising a promotional campaign at Siam Paragon shopping complex in the heart of Bangkok, ending on May 4, during which buyers of THAI tickets are offered a heavy discount on both domestic and international routes. Chokchai said that the ongoing campaign offers a discount of over 50 per cent for domestic routes, which is lower than last year’s promotional campaign, while ticket prices for international routes are also cut, citing, for example, that THAI tickets for the Bangkok-Japan route are now reduced to 20,900 baht each, from 50,000 baht each, and the Bangkok-South Korea route is reduced to 17,500 baht each. The THAI acting president expressed his hope that the campaign could boost the national airline’s passengers by about 3 per cent, from 70 per cent now, holding his optimistic views that THAI could, thus, compete with other airlines through the heavy discount. Teerapol Chotichanapibal, THAI Executive Vice President, revealed that THAI has changed its sale strategy to cope with a drop of its ticket sales, by persuading prospective international passengers to travel to Indochina and China for the time being, instead of Thailand, predicting, meanwhile, that THAI ticket sales on the Indochina and China routes could increase to 45 per cent, from 35 per cent now, as of the third quarter of this year. (TNA)