THAI to double domestic fuel surcharge

PHUKET: From Friday July 1, Thai Airways International (THAI) will double the surcharge levied on domestic fares because of the continuing rise in the cost of fuel on the world market.

The increase will take the surcharge for a round trip from the existing 200 baht to 400 baht. For a one-way journey it will rise from 100 baht to 200 baht.

THAI’s District Sales Manager for Upper-Southern Thailand, Kalayapha Panich, told the Gazette today, “We introduced the 100-baht-per-flight surcharge on May 1, but we have decided that we must increase it again.

“However, even if the price of fuel continues to rise, that does not necessarily mean we can increase the surcharge whenever we like; any increase has to be approved by the authorities.”

The new surcharge will come into effect on Friday, one day after the price of diesel rises by 0.40 baht a liter.

K. Kalayapha said that the number of flights between Phuket and Bangkok has been cut from around eight flights a day in the 2004 low season to five or six a day this year. This was partly because of the tsunami and partly because it is the low season, she said.

“This compares with an average of 14 THAI flights a day in the pre-tsunami period of the last high season,” K. Kalayapha added.