Thai Smile

Last updated
THAI Smile Airways
บริษัท ไทยสมายล์แอร์เวย์ จำกัด
THAI Smile.png
IATA ICAO Callsign
WETHDTHAI SMILE
Founded19 August 2011 (2011-08-19)
(as Thai Wings)
Commenced operations7 July 2012 (2012-07-07)
(as Thai Smile)
Ceased operations31 December 2023 (2023-12-31)
(re-integrated into Thai Airways International)
AOC # AOC.0007 [1]
Hubs Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
Focus cities Chiang Mai
Frequent-flyer program Royal Orchid Plus
Alliance Star Alliance (Connecting Partner)
Fleet size12
Parent company Thai Airways International (100%)
Headquarters89 Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
Key peopleViset Sontichai (CEO)
Website www.thaismileair.com

THAI Smile Airways was a Thai regional airline and a was wholly owned subsidiary of Thai Airways International headquartered in Bangkok. In 2023, it was announced that Thai Smile would be merged into its parent company Thai Airways. [2] The airline merged into Thai Airways International on 31 December 2023. The full cessation of operations was fully effective on January 1, 2024. [3]

Contents

History

Foundation

On 20 May 2011, the Thai Airways board announced plans to create a new lower-cost airline, at the time dubbed Thai Wings. [4] [ verification needed ] The creation of the airline was announced by Ampon Kittiampon, the chairman of Thai's board of directors, on 19 August 2011. [5] [ verification needed ] It began operations in July 2012. [5] According to Ampon, THAI Smile is intended to serve the market gap between low-cost carriers and full service airlines. [5] The name THAI Smile was chosen from a pool of 2,229 entries in a contest to name the airline. [5] According to an official at Thai Airways, THAI Smile was planned to begin showing an annual profit of about five million baht within two years of the start of operations. [5]

Merger into Thai Airways International

In February 2023, it was reported that Thai Smile may be dissolved as a separate entity and merged with its parent company, Thai Airways International, by mid-2024 in an effort to reduce losses. [6] On 18 May 2023, Thai Airways announced that Thai Smile would be merged into its parent as part of the group's post-COVID reconstruction process by the end of 2023. [7] Thai Smile was set to ceased all operations on 31 December 2023.

Corporate affairs

Thai Smile Airways was an official sponsor of Thai Honda Ladkrabang and Ratchaburi Mitr Phol. [8] [9]

Destinations

As of 2023, Thai Smile flew to the following destinations. The airline served only domestic destinations before ceasing operations on 31st December 2023.: [10]

Country/TerritoryCity/RegionAirportNotesRefs
Bangladesh Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport Terminated
Cambodia Phnom Penh Phnom Penh International Airport Terminated
Siem Reap Siem Reap International Airport Airport Closed
Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport Terminated
China Changsha Changsha Huanghua International Airport Terminated
Chongqing Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport Terminated
Kunming Kunming Changshui International Airport Terminated
Xiamen Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport Terminated
Zhengzhou Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport Terminated
Hong Kong Hong Kong International Airport Terminated
India Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Airport Terminated [11]
Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminated
Gaya Gaya Airport Terminated
Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Terminated
Jaipur Jaipur International Airport Terminated
Kolkata Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport Terminated [12]
Lucknow Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport Terminated
Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport Terminated
Varanasi Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport Terminated
Indonesia Jakarta Soekarno–Hatta International Airport Terminated
Laos Luang Prabang Luang Prabang International Airport Terminated
Vientiane Wattay International Airport Terminated
Macau Macau International Airport Terminated
Malaysia Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminated [13]
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminated
Penang Penang International Airport Terminated
Myanmar Mandalay Mandalay International Airport Terminated
Yangon Yangon International Airport Terminated
Nepal Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport Terminated
Singapore Changi Airport Terminated
Sri Lanka Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport Terminated
Taiwan Kaohsiung Kaohsiung International Airport Terminated
Taipei Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminated
Thailand Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport Terminated [14]
Suvarnabhumi Airport Hub
Chiang Mai Chiang Mai International Airport Terminated
Chiang Rai Mae Fah Luang - Chiang Rai International Airport Terminated
Hat Yai Hat Yai International Airport
Khon Kaen Khon Kaen Airport
Krabi Krabi International Airport
Loei Loei Airport Terminated
Nakhon Si Thammarat Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport Terminated
Nan Nan Nakhon Airport Terminated
Narathiwat Narathiwat Airport
Phuket Phuket International Airport Terminated
Roi Et Roi Et Airport Terminated
Surat Thani Surat Thani International Airport Terminated
Trang Trang Airport Terminated
Ubon Ratchathani Ubon Ratchathani Airport
Udon Thani Udon Thani International Airport Terminated
Vietnam Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport Terminated
Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat International Airport Terminated

Fleet

Thai Smile Airbus A320-200 HS-TXR (22047129805).jpg
Thai Smile Airbus A320-200

As of 2023, THAI Smile operated the following aircraft: [15]

AircraftIn ServiceOrdersPassengersNote
UYTotal
Airbus A320-200 312156168Transferred to Thai Airways International. [16]
9162174
Total12

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Mueang International Airport</span> Secondary civilian airport serving Bangkok, Thailand

Don Mueang International Airport, known as Bangkok International Airport before 2006, is one of two international airports serving Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, the other one being Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phuket International Airport</span> Airport in southern Thailand

Phuket International Airport is in Mai Khao subdistrict, Thalang district, Phuket province in southern Thailand. It is in the north of Phuket Island, 32 kilometres (20 mi) from downtown Phuket. The airport plays a major role in Thailand's tourism industry, as Phuket is a popular resort destination. It is the third-busiest airport in Thailand in terms of passengers, after Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. The airport set a record 15.1 million arrivals and departures in 2016, up 17.8 percent from 2015.

Capital A Berhad, operating as AirAsia is a Malaysian multinational low-cost airline headquartered near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the largest airline in Malaysia by fleet size and destinations. AirAsia operates scheduled domestic and international flights to more than 166 destinations spanning 25 countries. Its main base is KLIA Terminal 2, the low-cost carrier terminal at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia. Its affiliate airlines AirAsia Cambodia, Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, and Philippines AirAsia have bases in Phnom Penh, Bangkok–Don Mueang, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, and Manila–Ninoy Aquino airports respectively, while its sister airline, AirAsia X, focuses on long-haul routes. AirAsia's registered office and head office is at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, trading as THAI is the flag carrier airline of Thailand. Formed in 1961, the airline has its corporate headquarters in Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Chatuchak district, Bangkok, and primarily operates from Suvarnabhumi Airport. THAI is a founding member of the Star Alliance. The airline is the second-largest shareholder of the low-cost carrier Nok Air with a 15.94 per cent stake (2020), and it launched a regional carrier under the name Thai Smile in the middle of 2012 using new Airbus A320 aircraft. In 2023, it was announced that Thai Smile would be merged back into Thai Airways.

Thai Airways Company or Thai Airways was the domestic flag carrier of Thailand. Its main base was the domestic terminal at Don Mueang International Airport. Its head office was located in Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok. In 1988, Thai Airways merged to become Thai Airways International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suvarnabhumi Airport</span> Main airport serving Bangkok, Thailand

Suvarnabhumi Airport is the main international airport serving Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Located mostly in Racha Thewa subdistrict, Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan province, it covers an area of 3,240 ha, making it one of the biggest international airports in Southeast Asia and a regional hub for aviation. The airport is also a major Cargo Air Freight Hub, which has a designated Airport Free Zone, as well as road links to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) on Motorway 7.

EVA Airways Corporation is a Taiwanese international airline headquartered in Taoyuan City. It is one of the two largest airlines in Taiwan along with state-owned China Airlines. The privately-owned airline operates passenger and dedicated cargo services to over 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe & North America. Its network fully consists of international routes, with no domestic routes. It is rated as a 5-star airline by Skytrax, and is the second largest airline based in Taiwan after China Airlines. EVA Air is headquartered at Taoyuan International Airport in Luzhu, Taoyuan City. The company slogan is "Sharing the World, Flying Together".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangkok Airways</span> Regional airline of Thailand

Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited is a regional airline based in Bangkok, Thailand. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore, and Vietnam. Its main base is Suvarnabhumi Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tigerair</span> Defunct low-cost airline of Singapore (2003–2017)

Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd, operating as Tigerair, was a low-cost airline headquartered in Singapore. It operated services to regional destinations in Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, Taiwan, China and India from its main base at Singapore Changi Airport. It was founded as an independent airline in 2003, and was listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange under the Tiger Airways Holdings name in 2010. In October 2014, parent company Tiger Airways Holdings became a subsidiary of the SIA Group, who took a 56% ownership stake.

Jetstar Asia Airways Pte Ltd is a Singaporean low-cost airline headquartered at Changi Airport. It operates services to regional destinations in Southeast Asia to countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. It also flies to regional routes in East Asia such as Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niki (airline)</span> Defunct low-cost airline of Austria (2003–2017)

Niki was an Austrian low-cost airline headquartered in Office Park I at Vienna Airport in Schwechat. It operated scheduled and charter services to European and North African leisure destinations from Vienna, Salzburg, Graz and Innsbruck and also started services from several German airports in March 2017. Niki had a variety of owners, including two stints of ownership under Niki Lauda (1949–2019). In January 2018, the airline was acquired by Lauda, an airline that also had ties to Niki Lauda.

TransAsia Airways was a Taiwanese airline based in Neihu District in Taipei. Though the company started its operations focusing mainly on the Taiwanese domestic market, it operated on many scheduled international routes and focused mainly on Southeast and Northeast Asia and cross-strait flights at the time of closure.

Hong Kong Express Airways Limited (HKE), commonly known as Hong Kong Express or HK Express, is a Hong Kong–based low-cost airline fully owned by Cathay Pacific Airways. It provides scheduled air service to 27 destinations in Asia, including Cambodia, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The airline's main hub at Hong Kong International Airport uses a fleet that consists exclusively of the Airbus A320 family. The company slogan is Gotta Go.

Myanmar Airways International Co., Ltd. is a privately owned airline headquartered in Yangon, Myanmar. It operates scheduled international services to destinations mainly in Southeast Asia and is based at Yangon International Airport. Myanmar Airways International was the sponsor of the 2013 Southeast Asian Games. MAI's logo shows pyinsarupa, a traditional Burmese chimeric animal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger Airways Holdings</span> Defunct airline holding company of Singapore (2007–2016)

Tiger Airways Holdings Limited was a Singapore-based airline holding company for a group of low-cost carriers operating in the Asia-Pacific region. It was formed in 2007 to allow for easier management of the airline subsidiaries, as well as any future expansion, without having to focus on operational issues, leaving those to the airlines themselves. In 2016, Singapore Airlines purchased the company and it was delisted from the Singapore Exchange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scoot</span> Low-cost airline of Singapore

Scoot Pte Ltd, operating as Scoot, is a Singaporean low-cost airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. It began its operations on 4 June 2012 on medium and long-haul routes from Singapore, predominantly to various airports throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Scoot's airline slogan is Escape the Ordinary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V Air</span> Defunct low-cost airline of Taiwan (2014–2016)

V Air was a Taiwanese low-cost airline based in Taipei active from 2014 through 2016. It was a franchise subsidiary of TransAsia Airways serving flights to Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Cambodia from its base at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thai AirAsia X</span> Low-cost airline of Thailand, operating long-haul flights

Thai AirAsia X is a Thai long-haul budget airline based at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. It is a joint venture of AirAsia X from Malaysia and Thai AirAsia.

Thai Airways International operates a fleet of wide-body and narrow-body aircraft from Airbus and Boeing.

References

  1. "List of Thailand Air Operator Certificate Holders". Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand. 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  2. Cross, Lee (2023-05-18). "Thai Smile to be Re-Absorbed into Thai Airways International". Airways. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  3. "Thai Smile Airways to cease flight operations on December 31". nationthailand. 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  4. "THAI to launch new budget airline". Bangkok Post. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "THAI sister airline launch set for 2012". Bangkok Post. 20 August 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  6. bangkokpost.com - Thai Smile-THAI merger 'to cut losses' 25 February 2023
  7. Cross, Lee (2023-05-18). "Thai Smile to be Re-Absorbed into Thai Airways International". Airways. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  8. ""ไทยฮอนด้า" ทุ่ม 100 ล้าน ลุยไทยลีก ตั้งเป้าท็อป 10" . Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  9. "สายการบินแรก!ราชบุรีจับมือไทยสมายล์" . Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  10. "Thai Smile Booking and Destinations". Thai Smile. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  11. "THAI SMILE MOVES AHMEDABAD SERVICE TO THAI FROM SEP 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  12. "Thai Smile Resumes Kolkata Bangkok Flights".
  13. Liu, Jim (August 16, 2017). "Update 2: Thai Smile cancels Kota Kinabalu service from Sep 2017". Routes Online. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  14. "New Route! Fly Direct Flights from Donmuang to Chiang Mai". Thai Smile.
  15. Airbus Orders and Deliveries (XLS), accessed via "Orders & Deliveries". Airbus. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  16. leah (2023-05-18). "Thai Airways - Thai Smile merger gets green light". Thaiger. Retrieved 2023-05-21.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Thai Smile at Wikimedia Commons