Thai Airways International Plc (THAI) is to temporarily suspend all international flights and shut down its overseas offices as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to its acting president.
"Countries around the world have locked down their borders so THAI planes cannot enter their airspace. Meanwhile, the number of passengers has plummeted," said Chakkrit Parapuntakul, admitting the effect of the outbreak was rubbing salt in the wounds of THAI which is already suffering from heavy losses and pork-barrel debts.
Ex-THAI president Sumeth Damrongchaitham who recently resigned from the company said that even without the Covid-19 pandemic, the airline would still be struggling to deal with its tough financial situation.
THAI has now cancelled all flights in the Asia-Pacific region (with the exception of Cambodia) starting from today and will suspend all Europe routes from April 1.
The cancellations will last until May 30, according to information released by THAI offices in Singapore and Vietnam.
This decision made yesterday's flights to and from countries such as Singapore and Vietnam the carrier's last flights until May 30.
The flight cancellations prompted Thai consulate staff in Ho Chi Minh to travel to Tan Son Nhat airport yesterday evening to help Thai passengers who were required to obtain certification from the consulate before being able to return to Thailand.
However, in Cambodia, flight cancellations will not begin until April 1, according to information provided to the Bangkok Post by the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.
THAI will facilitate passengers in rescheduling their flights without charging fees, officials said, citing communications between their office and the airline.