THAILAND – Thailand experienced a sharp rebound in international air links after airlines from across the globe announced more than 80 new routes to the kingdom for the fourth quarter of 2025, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said on 16 October.
Record expansion of routes
The TAT reported that carriers from East Asia, South Asia, ASEAN, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East were significantly boosting capacity ahead of the year-end high season. The move followed strong booking demand and was timed to capture the traditional peak travel period.
TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said the agency’s targeted approach had paid off. “Our Airline Focus strategy has been a resounding success. The expanded cooperation with our partners is driving tourism development forward,” she said, highlighting the role of charter-support measures aimed at secondary Chinese cities.
Asia leads the surge
Several Asian carriers unveiled new or expanded services. Thai Lion Air introduced scheduled flights from Chongqing and Tianjin to Bangkok, and airlines arranged 731 charter services from Chinese cities such as Xi’an, Xining and Chengdu — many of which were booked well into 2026.
Japanese and South Korean markets also saw fresh links. Thai AirAsia X launched a Sendai–Bangkok service starting 1 December, while Thai Vietjet began flights from Incheon to Bangkok from 1 October. Two carriers from Hong Kong announced new connections as well: United Airlines to Bangkok and Hong Kong Airlines to Phuket.
European carriers scale up
Europe’s access to Thailand widened notably, with low-cost long-haul carrier Norse Atlantic Airways unveiling multiple routes — London and Manchester to Bangkok, and Stockholm and Oslo to Phuket. Air France confirmed a return service, linking Paris to Phuket from 28 November.
The TAT said the new European schedules had already surpassed pre-crisis seat levels, a signal that demand from European holidaymakers had recovered strongly.
Transpacific and Gulf region additions
The United States market saw a significant development with United Airlines launching a Los Angeles–Bangkok transpacific routing via Hong Kong. From the Middle East, Etihad Airways added services from Abu Dhabi to Krabi and Chiang Mai, while Air Arabia began flights from Sharjah to Krabi.
Saudi Arabia was also joining the flow: a new route from Riyadh to Don Mueang was due to start on 2 November, underscoring growing interest in Thailand from Gulf travellers.
Implications for Thailand
The capacity expansion was expected to bolster Thailand’s ongoing recovery from the pandemic slump. With new direct links to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phuket and U-Tapao, the industry looked set not only to meet its 2025 targets but potentially to exceed them, the TAT suggested.
For travellers the wave of new services meant more choice, greater schedule flexibility and the prospect of lower fares as competition intensified. Industry officials said enhanced connectivity would also spread visitor flows to secondary destinations, supporting local tourism economies.
Despite the upbeat picture, officials acknowledged the change of mood from only a short time ago, when forecasts had been far more pessimistic. For now, however, Thailand remains firmly positioned as one of Southeast Asia’s leading leisure destinations, with airlines betting on a sustained rebound in demand.