BANGKOK, THAILAND – Flight cancellations and capacity cuts by Thai airlines were expected to push outbound travel in the low season down by 15–20% and leave the full year up to 10% below last year.
Fewer flights: outlook for low season and full year
For the summer schedule, which coincided with the low season, travel volumes were forecast to fall by 15–20% compared with a year earlier. Over the full year, the decline could reach up to 10%, according to the report.
The main drivers were reduced seat capacity and cancelled connections, which noticeably tightened supply for travellers. At the same time, costs increased and showed up in higher ticket prices and package rates.
Which airlines cut which routes?
Thai AirAsia X scaled back service on the Bangkok–Sapporo route. Thai AirAsia also reduced flights to China for the remainder of the summer schedule.
National carrier Thai Airways removed several domestic and international connections in May. Overall, several carriers streamlined their timetables on selected routes.
Why routes were cut: demand and fuel costs
Chotechuang Soorangura, vice president of the Thai Travel Agents Association, said airlines were trimming or consolidating routes with weak performance and lower demand. The goal was to align capacity with current demand.
Rising fuel costs were cited as an additional factor that increased cost pressure. This affected both route planning and pricing decisions.
Impact on tour groups and rebookings
Group tours were largely shielded from disruptions because the period fell outside the peak holiday season for Thai travellers. For cancelled flights, companies could still claim refunds from the airlines.
Alternatively, customers could be rebooked onto foreign carriers operating from major cities with similar flight times. This allowed many group tours to go ahead in principle despite the cuts.
Outbound travel limited to specific segments
According to Chotechuang, outbound travel increasingly focused on specific customer segments.
“Travel abroad is now limited to certain groups; only some companies and premium leisure sectors can still afford it,”
said Chotechuang Soorangura, vice president of the Thai Travel Agents Association.
Many Thais were cutting back spending because of concerns about the cost of living. In addition, government bodies and public organisations cancelled overseas trips under budget and energy-saving directives.
Songkran surcharges highlight rising airfares
During Songkran, some travel agencies asked customers for additional payments to cover higher airfares driven by fuel surcharges. This applied in cases where tickets had been reserved but not yet fully paid.
The situation showed how strongly price fluctuations could affect existing bookings in the short term. For travellers and tour operators, the risk increased that previously calculated package prices would have to be adjusted afterwards.
Tour prices rise as operators pivot to domestic trips
According to the report, rising airfares in the coming months were expected to push package tour prices up by around 20%. This was set to reinforce the anticipated decline in outbound travel during the low season.
Chotechuang, who was also managing director of NS Travel and Tours, said his company was shifting its focus to domestic packages. These were aimed in particular at corporate clients switching from international trips to destinations within Thailand.
Looking ahead: winter demand and top destinations
Among Thai tourists there remained pent-up demand for trips in the coming winter, especially to Europe and other long-haul destinations. Many had postponed their plans during the Songkran holidays.
Travel agencies expected this demand to be released once international flight capacity normalised and fuel prices stabilised. According to the report, China and Japan remained the main target markets, as cited by the Bangkok Post.