THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: In a move expected to boost tourism between Thailand’s south and northeast, discount carrier Thai AirAsia has announced its intention to introduce direct flights from Phuket to Udon Thani.

The four times a week service will be operated by a 180-seat Airbus A320 commencing December 21, with the airline expecting it to attract Thai as well as foreign tourists traveling into or from Laos.

Theera Tunglakmunkhong, president of the Udon Thani Chamber of Commerce, said the new service will benefit local businesses and also boost travel between the two regions.

“We’ve been attempting to get Thai AirAsia to introduce this flight for some time and believe it will help promote Udon Thani as a major tourism destination”, Mr. Theera said.

Direct flights from Phuket to Udon Thani are expected to pave the way for more tourists from neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore to venture further into Thailand, rather than spending their time solely on Phuket island. A direct flight from Phuket to the northern Thailand city of Chiang Mai is also planned for introduction in the near future.

Thai AirAsia has been rapidly developing Phuket as a major regional hub connecting the island province to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Medan and Jakarta in Indonesia, and Hong Kong. The introduction of the new Phuket to Udon Thani service is further example of the airlines aggressive expansion plans throughout the region.

To help promote the new sector Thai AirAsia is offering seats on the Phuket to Udon Thani sector for Bt690 (about $US21) excluding taxes.

By John Le Fevre

Thailand Travel News for December 17, 2009