Thai Airways International has transferred the Chiang
Mai-Mae Hong Son route to Nok Air despite protests by Mae Hong Son residents
that the smaller airline may later not be able to maintain the route.
This happened before with the Lampang and Phrae routes,
they said, and it would have a bad effect on Mae Hong Son tourism and the
local economy.
Nok Air,
a subsidiary of Thai Airways International, is being resisted by Mae Hong
Son residents
Despite the protests the new Mae Hong Son governor agrees
with the Thai Airways proposal, saying that it was free business
competition, but stating that Nok Air’s service had to be better than that
of Thai Airways.
The new governor, Direk Konkleep, said that the Thai
government wanted the air travel business to compete freely and
internationally.
As for residents’ lack of confidence in Nok Air, Direk
said that the two companies were virtually one, and that Thai Airways
International was a shareholder in Nok Air.
Choti Naramonton, vice president of Mae Hong Son Chamber
of Commerce, said 100 tourism business owners are hanging up signs
protesting the canceling by Thai Airways of their Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son
route.
Wisoot Buachum, director of the Tourism Authority of
Thailand Mae Hong Son office said that Nok Air should use the ATR plane and
ticket booking system to assure tour agents. Furthermore, the airline should
add more flights during high season from November to April, to support the
many tourists visiting Mae Hong Son.
A rumor is spreading through the local travel industry that Royal Phnom
Penh Airways is interested in opening a route from Phnom Penh to Bangkok,
Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, and Mandalay and Tangyy in Burma.
