Hello, we%26#39;re travelling to Thailand in July and will be needing to do domestic flights from Bangkok to Krabi and then up to Chiang Mai. Are the cheaper companies OK safety wise? Thai airways certainly is more expensive but at least we hope we will get there safely! Yes, I hate flying... Is Air Asia a subsidiary of Thai airways? Thanks for any advice.
Internal air travel
The budget airlines are all fine except for 1-2-Go, which had a crash recently coming into Phuket in bad weather. That carrier, and its parent company Orient Thai, have had a bad safety reputation for years. I would not recommend them. I don%26#39;t believe Thai has a significantly better safety standard than Air Asia or Nok Air, though.
Air Asia is an independent company based in Kuala Lumpur. It flies extensively throughout the region. I%26#39;ve flown often on Air Asia and I have no complaints. There is a persistent rumour that it%26#39;s always late, however I think this is highly exaggerated. Personally, I%26#39;ve only been on one late Air Asia flight in the last 2 years, a flight to Bangkok from Kuala Lumpur which was delayed. It was the last flight of the night and that often happens with point to point carriers, as small delays during the day pile up to skew the late flight. One advantage is, they fly from Suvarnabhumi, so if you%26#39;re arriving on an international flight you don%26#39;t have to change airports.
Nok Air is partly owned by Thai and has taken over a number of its domestic routes. Lately, it%26#39;s been showing some customer service gaps but I have to say I%26#39;ve enjoyed flying with them. Unlike Air Asia they have reserved seating. The planes are all painted like cartoon birds (';Nok'; means ';bird';), and they have the most attractive flight attendants. However, lately they%26#39;ve been doing annoying things like cancelling a flight and not informing me (I found out on a web forum). They also have a really stupid policy regarding foreign credit cards. Last time I tried to book with them I finally gave up after a tooth and claw battle with their call centre, and booked my flight to Krabi on Air Asia.
Check Thai online before you book anything. They often have competitive no-frills prices.
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