What happened
The Thai government is pressuring Thai Airways to expand its network by serving more secondary airports within Thailand to boost tourism and economic activity. Specifically, the Transport Ministry wants the airline to increase services to Krabi and Ubon Thani, add Nakhon Si Thammarat, and open international feeder routes from Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong to these regional airports. While Thai Airways has reduced some routes post-pandemic, this proposal aims to reconnect secondary markets to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport for international transfers. The government retains a 38.90% stake in the carrier, though it no longer holds State Enterprise status