The average airfare for flights connecting key cities in China and Thailand remains 1.5 times higher than pre-pandemic prices, while for second-tier cities fares have surged 200%, which means low-priced tours cannot return, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said even though average airfares have decreased from last year, prices for March and April for every Chinese city are still higher than before the pandemic.
He said flights bound for key cities in the mainland are 1.5 times higher, such as 17,000-24,500 baht for Shanghai, 20,000-24,000 baht for Chengdu and 14,000-15,000 baht for
Guangzhou.
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Ticket prices for March and April have doubled for secondary cities without direct flights as the reopening only began this year, said Mr Yuthasak, with the flow of passengers still weak in the first two months.
In February, the number of
seats from eastern China, such as Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Hebei, tallied 17,308 per week, with more than 10 airlines operating flights to Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai.
Of that number, Shanghai secured the largest capacity at 10,000 seats.
The average spending per Chinese traveller increased as the more expensive travel costs prompted them to consider longer stays of 5-10 days, according to Dragon Trail research.
Source: Bangkok Post
