Thai Smile (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi) will shut down by December 31, 2023, marking the end of 'WE' coded flights and the Thai Smile brand after eleven years of operation. The parent entity, Thai Airways International (TG, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi), will assume what routes it hasn't already taken over on January 1 and continue transferring assets and aircraft over the course of that month, with the process expected to be completed by January 31.
Thai Airways CEO Chai Eamsiri confirmed the news via a press release issued by the National News Bureau of Thailand. The Thai Smile website will remain active until December 15, with all existing reservations transferring to Thai Airways the following day. The LCC's call centre will remain open until December 31, after which callers will be transferred to the Thai Airways desk. Thai Airways announced plans to merge earlier this year.
Thai Smile's original fleet of twenty A320-200s, all leased or sub-leased to the airline by Thai Airways, has now shrunk to less than ten as the parent entity progressively integrates the aircraft back into its fleet. Concurrently, the LCC has gradually transferred its routes to Thai Airways, including the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi - Phuket, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi - Chiang Mai, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi - Gaya, and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi- Udon Thani routes on December 1, and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi - Krabi and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi - Siem Reap routes and all other still operating Thai Smile services from January 1, 2024.
Eamsiri says the cessation of the LCC’s operations and its integration into Thai Airways is a strategic move designed to streamline operations and enhance service efficiency within the Thai aviation sector. Thai Airways, now on the financial and operational upswing after scraping through the pandemic and filing for a court-supervised rehabilitation and restructuring process, expects to exit this process next year on a solid financial footing and relist on the Thai Stock Exchange the following year.
