Free Flights Boost Tourism in Conflict-Stricken Thailand

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Free Flights Boost Tourism in Conflict-Stricken Thailand
Air Asia has offered free airfare tickets to Thailand, in the latest bid to boost tourism in the country that has been paralyzed by bloody political clashes during the last two months. (Tengku Bahar/Getty Images)
6/2/2010
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/Air71468362.jpg" alt="Air Asia has offered free airfare tickets to Thailand, in the latest bid to boost tourism in the country that has been paralyzed by bloody political clashes during the last two months. (Tengku Bahar/Getty Images)" title="Air Asia has offered free airfare tickets to Thailand, in the latest bid to boost tourism in the country that has been paralyzed by bloody political clashes during the last two months. (Tengku Bahar/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1819128"/></a>
Air Asia has offered free airfare tickets to Thailand, in the latest bid to boost tourism in the country that has been paralyzed by bloody political clashes during the last two months. (Tengku Bahar/Getty Images)
AirAsia has offered free airfare tickets to Thailand, in the latest bid to boost tourism in the country that has been paralyzed by bloody political clashes during the last two months.

AirAsia is offering a limited number of free flights from Bali to Bangkok, and $10 fares from Kuala Lumpur to the Thai capital to entice travellers.

The AirAsia offer is part of a sale of 10,000 seats between Bangkok and Asian cities in Malaysia, Burma, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Taiwan and Indonesia, with fares costing up to $38 one-way, reports The Sydney Morning Herald. The special deal opened on June 1 and is valid between June 7 to August 31.

Tony Fernandes, AirAsia CEO, is in Thailand promoting a new campaign in order to draw travellers back to the capital, at the same time, he is urging government leaders to consider turning Don Mueang into a dedicated Low Cost Carrier terminal.

Fernandes says that the lack of such a terminal is hampering growth in the country’s tourism industry, pointing at the growth in traveller numbers after Kuala Lumpur introduced a new LCC terminal as a prime example.

Speaking to local paper The Bangkok Post, Fernandes said that Airports of Thailand was charging too much per passenger at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Thailand has seen a continuous wave of violence as clashes unfoled in March between the pro-Gorvernmet forces and anti-Government Red Shirt protesters.

At least 26 people are believed to have died.