Thai Transport Minister calls for more information on Thai Tiger JV

Thai Transport Minister, Sohpon Zarum, stated Thai Airways must provide a clear explanation to the Ministry of Transport about its plans to launch an LCC, Thai Tiger, with Tiger Airways (Bangkok Post, 04-Aug-2010). Mr Sophon explained that he wanted to find out how the agreement will affect Thai's existing LCC, Nok Air. Nok Air CEO, Patee Sarasin, meanwhile stated the establishment of Thai Tiger will have no affect on its business, nor would it be a competitor for Nok.

Thai Government: "I got into the muddle when I first learned about THAI's plan to join with Tiger Airways Holdings to set up a no-frills carrier in Thailand. The completion of the joint venture deal was too fast," Sohpon Zarum, Transport Minister. Source: Bangkok Post, 04-Aug-2010.

Nok Air: "THAI plans to make Thai Tiger a regional airline. There could be an overlap on some domestic routes, but Thai Tiger would fly only to big cities where the demand for aviation services is high," Patee Sarasin, CEO. Source: Bangkok Post, 04-Aug-2010.