The government should develop other transport modes such as cruise travel to relieve congestion at major airports, says Thai AirAsia chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld.
He said the government should create an integrated transport network for main resorts such as Phuket and Krabi. The two southern destinations lack ports big enough to serve 2,000-3,000 cruisers.
Many foreign tourists have high purchasing power and enjoy cruises. If Thailand had good facilities to serve cruise liners, tourism income would rise, he said.
This would also help relieve congestion at main airports such as Phuket and Chiang Mai, which are now facing overloaded capacities.
According to market research by C9HotelWorks, arrivals at Phuket airport surged 19% in the first five months of the year.
Phuket airport welcomed 1.88 million international passengers and 1.53 million domestic passengers from scheduled and non-scheduled flights in the first five months. The airport's traffic accounted for 13% of total international arrivals for the January-May period.
The opening of Phuket airport's new terminal, which will raise the capacity to 12.5 million from 6.5 million passengers per year, has been slightly delayed and is now scheduled to open within this year. Its expanded facilities are expected to ease congestion.
Apart from marketing promotion, intra-transport networks in main tourism cities cannot be ignored, Mr Tassapon said.
"It's difficult to move forward the country's economy amid the global economic slowdown. Exports and local spending are still weak. Meanwhile, tourism is doing well, so Thailand should send a clear message that it is ready to welcome foreign travellers," he said.
The head of Thai AirAsia said this will help to decrease business losses after the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) red-flagged Thailand's aviation industry.
Although the airline is working hard to meet ICAO standards, it accepted that it is very hard to expand business within one year after the ICAO red flag.
Like other Thailand-registered airlines, Thai AirAsia is not allowed to add flights or change the model of aircraft serving current routes, especially for Japan, South Korea and the US, which are hot destinations.
Mr Tassapon is worried about the ICAO's re-evaluation at the end of the year. If Thai airlines again fail to pass muster, they may face a tougher ban.
"But if most Thai airlines meet ICAO standards, the country's aviation industry will be back to normal," he said.