Thai Airways seeing a 10-12% cancellation rate on services over past fortnight
Thai Airways stated over the past fortnight, 10-12% of tickets have been cancelled with the carrier also witnessing a slump in new bookings caused by Thailand's escalating political turmoil (Bangkok Post, 02-May-2010). The carrier is considering measures including fare discounts, relaxed booking fees and offering international flights directly to Thai destinations outside Bangkok, as part of measures to counteract the effects of the political violence. The carrier stated the impact is heaviest on inbound passengers arrivng in Bangkok, where numbers have fallen by approximately 6,000 per day from Apr-2008 levels (of approximately 30,000 passenger per day). 47 countries have now advised citizens to reconsider any non-essential travel to Thailand, while ten others advise nationals not to visit the country at all.