Jetstar Asia will start a new service from Singapore to Hat Yai, primarily to tap into land visitor traffic restricted by a recent Thai visa requirement.
Starting from Nov 3, the Singapore-based budget carrier will offer four flights a week from the city-state to the southern Thai city.
Located at the border between Malaysia and Thailand, Hat Yai is a traditionally popular destination for a 12-hour road trip from Singapore. But the recent change in Thai visa requirements for visitors returning by land has affected the number of travellers into Hat Yai.
With Jetstar's new direct service, travellers can fly direct to Hat Yai visa-free for 30 days while allowing them to save on travel time.
Chief executive Bara Pasupathi said: "The flight, which will take only an hour and 40 minutes, will be the third city in Thailand that Jetstar Asia will fly to."
With the new service, Indonesian travellers to Hat Yai will be able to take advantage of the short connections in Singapore Changi airport from Jakarta, Medan or any of the carrier's six Indonesian destinations, he added.
Jetstar's low fares are also comparable with current bus services offered from Singapore, with one-way fares starting at 1,950 baht.
Promotional fares are available for purchase from 899 baht from Singapore today.
The new service will see Jetstar Asia operate up to 51 services a week to Thailand, which includes Bangkok and Phuket.