Thai Airways has just 15 international destinations bookable from Bangkok this July, its website shows, with flights down by a whopping 93%. This is the result of many ongoing border closures as the country grabbles with some of the highest coronavirus cases it has seen since coronavirus started. Where is bookable?

The Thai flag carrier's 15 international destinations are down from 58 in the same month in 2019, based on OAG schedules data. It will now have 40 international departures a week, a fall from over 600 – a decline of 93%. The impact of coronavirus is well and truly alive.

The A350-900 is important for Thai Airways' international services next month. Photo: Getty Images.

Thai Airways from Bangkok this July

The majority of Thai Airways' 15 international destinations are across Asia, particularly in the Northeast, including Japan (four destinations), Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Simple Flying recently examined Hong Kong to Taipei, perhaps one of the world's most exciting routes. At city-level, Hong Kong and Tokyo have the same number of weekly departures: five.

  1. Bangkok to Hong Kong: five-weekly departures in July
  2. Bangkok-Frankfurt: four
  3. Bangkok-Tokyo Narita: three
  4. Bangkok-Osaka: three
  5. Bangkok-Taipei: three
  6. Bangkok-Manila: three
  7. Bangkok-London Heathrow: three
  8. Bangkok-Copenhagen: three
  9. Bangkok-Tokyo Haneda: two
  10. Bangkok-Nagoya: two
  11. Bangkok-Seoul Incheon: two
  12. Bangkok-Lahore: two
  13. Bangkok-Paris CDG: two
  14. Bangkok-Zurich: two by B787-8s
  15. Bangkok-Dhaka: one
Here are Thai Airways' bookable international routes in July. Note that the yellow shows its operation involving Phuket, given the resort area is due to open from that month. See later in this article. Image: OAG Mapper.

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Phuket, I'll go!

Last month, Thai Airways announced six non-stop routes to Phuket from July. This is because Phuket will open up to international travelers, so crucial to its economy, from that month – which is still going ahead. Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, and Paris will all be linked non-stop to the Thai island. However, Delhi has been pulled because of the current situation in India.

Aircraft will route to and from Bangkok, with Phuket available non-stop in only one direction: to the island. This is because it is a requirement to fly non-stop into Phuket, at least until connections over Bangkok are permitted once again. For example, Copenhagen is scheduled as:

  • Bangkok-Copenhagen: 01:20-07:40
  • Copenhagen-Phuket: 14:25-06:25 (the next day)
  • Phuket-Bangkok: 08:00-09:30
The carrier will serve four Japanese destinations in July, although not Fukuoka, where this photo was taken. Photo: Chihaya Sta via Wikimedia.

Not just Thai Airways to Phuket

It is not just Thai Airways capitalizing on the opening up of Phuket. For example, the Middle East Big Three airlines – Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad Airways – will together have 11 weekly departures to their respective hubs in July, as follows. They'll also be joined by a brand-new service to Sharjah by Air Arabia, utilizing its new 215-seat A321LRs.

  1. Emirates: four-weekly to Dubai
  2. Qatar Airways: four-weekly to Doha
  3. Etihad: three-weekly to Abu Dhabi
  4. Air Arabia: three-weekly to Sharjah

This means that there will be some 14-weekly – or twice-daily – services, which might seem a lot in the current environment. But consider this. Pre-COVID, there were up to seven departures a day to Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi.

Will you be flying to or within Asia this year? Let us know in the comments.