Thai Airways Holds Seminar to Promote Chiang Mai as a Trading Hub

Today, Mr. Kanok Abhiradee, President, Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, chaired a "Trading Hub of Thailand" seminar, which was attended by over 150 representatives from both the government and private sectors as well as business and travel/tourism sectors in the north of Thailand.

The seminar was held in response to the government's policy to promote Thailand as the air transportation hub of the Asian region and decentralise potential to other regions of Thailand. This is one of the national strategies to develop Thailand and distribute revenue to various parts of the country.

Thai Airways International is helping to promote Chiang Mai as a northern hub of Thailand in order to accommodate the rising number of regional visitors and provide additional capacity to supplement the Suvarnabhumi Airport capacity. Thai Airways International also spearheaded a brainstorming session among representatives from both the government and private sectors in Chiang Mai and other northern provinces to promote Chiang Mai as a center of medical services, international education, and focal point for the import/export trade of both manufactured and agricultural products.

One of the ways in which THAI supports Chiang Mai as a northern hub was the recent launch of flight operations to Chittagong, the People's Republic of Bangladesh, using Chiang Mai as a connecting point. From 11 December 2002, THAI began its thrice-weekly flights on the route Bangkok-Chiang Mai-Chittagong, every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, utilising Boeing 737-400 aircraft. THAI also plans to expand flight operations from Chiang Mai as well as operate codeshare flights with other domestic and international private carriers, to other regional destinations in the future.

The "Trading Hub of Thailand" seminar was attended by over 150 representatives comprising representatives from various business groups from the northern provinces of Thailand (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Lampun)including Chamber of Commerce, tourism associations, import/export, trading companies, manufacturers, agricultural product groups, the Night Bazaar, shippers and international cargo club. Three seminars have already been organised by THAI to promote Chiang Mai as the northern hub of Thailand including the latest "Medical Hub of Thailand" seminar in November.