THAI Smile, the business unit of Thai Airways International, announces two new destinations to the People's Republic of China – Chongqing and Changsha, starting from 27 October 2013.
BANGKOK – Chongqing, the economic centre of Sichuan and Changsha, with a population of 3.6 million inhabitants, will be linked from the end of the week to Bangkok. Chokchai Panyayong, Thai Airways International Senior Executive Vice President of Commercial, said in order to support the economies and tourism industry between Thailand and China, THAI Smile will launch simultaneous operations to two new direct routes, between Bangkok and Chongqing and between Bangkok and Changsha, with both inaugural flights taking place on the same day on 27 October 2013.
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China with a significant history and culture. It is a major manufacturing center, a major motor vehicle production center and largest for motorcycles. Chongqing’s tourist attractions include the 1000-year-old-town Ciqikou next to the lower part of the Jialing River, once an important commercial port during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Other attractions include UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Furong Cave in Wulong Karst National Geology Park. THAI Smile will operate three round trip flights per week from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Chongqing on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Changsha is the capital city of Hunan Province and is a major tourist center of historical museums including the world-famous Mawangdui Tombs of the Han Dynasty and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area as part of several national parks such as the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
THAI Smile will operate three round trip flights per week from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Changsha on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, with plans to add flights on Monday and Saturday for increased frequency to five flights per week starting on 16 January 2014.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
