The first airlines club in the history of Thai aviation
has been launched. Chiang Mai Airlines Club (CMAC) already has 300
registered members from airlines, tour operators, airport authorities, tour
guide associations and other relevant bodies, making Chiang Mai the hub of
airline clubs in the north.
General
manager of the Imperial Mae Ping and president of the Thai Hotel Association
Vorapong Muchaotai (right) on the guitar and vocals played all evening with
his head of departments band.
The official launch took place on April 30, two months
after 14 initial members had a preliminary “snack meeting” at which the
vision of CMAC was mooted.
Together
we are strong! (From left) Munchen Supacha Air Mandalay; U Kyaw Swe, station
manager Air Mandalay (Yangon); and Kham Ouame, general manager Lao Airlines
Chiang Mai branch.
Miss Ratchaneeporn from Thai Airways International (THAI)
said the creation of the club would be a major step towards better mutual
understanding and improved client service. Compared to a few years ago when
THAI, the national carrier, was the only airline serving Chiang Mai, today
eight other international airlines fly here on a regular basis. The newly
launched CMAC is ready to work together with all the airlines for the sake
of all visitors to the north. These include:
Governor
Suwat Tantipat and Prakaidao Hovatanakul, from THAI’s Chiang Mai office in
the midst of representatives from the nine different airlines who are
stationed in Chiang Mai.
Air Asia, which has just begun to come to Chiang Mai on a
regular basis.
Air Mandalay, the Golden Flight, connects to Yangon and
Mandalay once a week. They are promising special promotion flights with one
of the most dynamic new airlines in modern Southeast Asia. Its office is in
the Doi Ping Mansion on Charoen Prathet Road (Tel. 0 5381 8049).
CMAC is
officially launched!
Bangkok Airways is another Thai airline serving Chiang
Mai, with its office within Chiang Mai International Airport (Tel. 0 5328
1519). It advertises special fares to Sukhothai, Bangkok and Koh Samui.
Internationally, it flies to Jinghong and Xian in China.
Lao Airlines with an office at Nakorn Ping Condo (Tel. 0
5322 3401) flies three times a week from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang, the
former royal city of the Land of Million Elephants and situated right on the
banks of the mighty Mekong River.
Mandarin Airlines is less well known, with an office
within Chiang Mai International Airport (Tel. 0 5320 1268). This carrier
flies to Taipei in Taiwan twice a week directly from Chiang Mai.
Orient Thai Airlines, the budget airline, flies from
Chiang Mai (Tel. 0 5392 2159 or Call Center Bangkok 0 2267 2999 53-904 609)
to Bangkok many times daily with its one-price policy on all seats, and from
Hong Kong to Chiang Mai.
Phuket Air (Tel. 0 5392 2118) flies to Chiang Rai twice a
day and to Udon Thani three times a week.
SilkAir from Singapore has its office in the Imperial
Maeping Hotel (Tel. 0 5327 6459) and flies three times a week to Singapore.
THAI has its town office, still located in Old Chiang Mai on Prapokklao
Road (Tel. 0 5321 0210, 0 5321 1044). Besides the many daily flights to
Bangkok, THAI also flies directly to Phuket although the return flight is
via Bangkok, and four times a day to Mae Hong Son. There are international
flights to Kunming and Jinghong in the Chinese Yunnan province twice a week
with easy connections to Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. There are
flights three times a week to Luang Prabang in Laos and Chittagong in
Bangladesh and twice a week to Yangon in Myanmar.
