Thai Airways Downturn To Hit Phuket

Thai Airways severe financial downturn is set to put pressure on Phuket's tourism sector.
As reported in the Nation newspaper, shareholders of the airline have been informed on Friday at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) that cutbacks and austerity measures will dominate the short-term future.
Thai's summer schedule will suspend the Phuket to Seoul and Moscow Bangkok routes. Madrid service will be stopped in September. Low flight frequency is in the books for the long-haul London and Frankfurt sectors.
The island's Korean honeymoon market, which has been a low-season stable in recent years, has declined in the past eighteen months.
Over in Samui hoteliers are watching Thai's moves as the airline is consolidating it's aircraft inventory and this could be at the expense of the remaining two Boeing 737-400 aircraft that ply the Bangkok to Samui line.
A number of older aircraft are expected to be commissioned which is anticipated to cut into existing route servicing.
While Shakespeare wrote about The Winter of Our Discontent, Thai's ongoing challenges may equate to a Summer of Discontent for the country's airlift conundrum.