|
|
| • EXCH RATES |
|
Baht/$ 33.40/43
Bid/Ask
|
GOLD |
13,950
+ 150
|
|
AVIATION
BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA
Thai Airways International (THAI) has launched a new monthly inflight magazine with a new publisher that combines two previous separate titles. The flag carrier has commissioned Dubai-based The Media Factory (TMF) to produce the restyled Sawasdee magazine in a competitive bid in which 25 international publishing houses took part.
The new publication replaces the old Sawasdee, published by Hong Kong-based Emphasis, and Kinnaree, published by Bangkok-based Magic Production, owned by businesswoman Panprapha Intrawithayanunt.
TMF was chosen because of a promise to give THAI a sharper and more prestigious look and content that largely supports tourism and other destinations served by the national carrier.
Sawasdee has been distributed on THAI's international flights over the past 40 years while Kinnaree was made available on the airline's domestic routes, making THAI one of the few airlines in the world that offered two different inflight magazines.
Distributing one magazine on board helps with time constraints as well as reducing weight on aircraft, an exercise that has become more essential in the wake of skyrocketing oil prices, said THAI executive vice president Pandit Chanapai.
Under a three-year contract, TMF is obliged to make 160,000 copies of Sawasdee, each weighing 400 grammes, available each month on all THAI aircraft.
The revamped Sawasdee is bilingual with 70% of its content in English and 30% in Thai.
Previous editions of Sawasdee were entirely in English while Kinnaree was mostly in Thai with some English.
Under the deal, THAI pays no money to TMF but is entitled to a stipulated annual payment from TMF in return for the publishing rights.
TMF's revenue comes from advertising sales that are restricted to 30% of the total pages per issue. THAI carries 1.5 million passengers a month.
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Next
