Qatar Airways have announced they will begin operations on a new direct service from Doha to Chiang Mai. The new flights will increase the number of visitors coming to Thailand from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, connecting to Chiang Mai via the airline’s hub in Qatar.
The flights, operating four times weekly, will operate a seasonal service from December 2017 until May 2018, and then resume the schedule once again for the Winter 2018 season in October 2018. Airbus A330-200 aircraft will service the new Doha-Chiang Mai route, each featuring 24 seats in Business Class and 236 seats in Economy.
H.E. Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive announced the new service: “Thailand continues to grow in popularity with holiday-makers seeking to explore and relax in this beautiful country,†said the Chief Executive. “The new route we have launched reflects the increasing demand from our customers across our network for more high-quality leisure destinations, especially in the Far East,†he continued.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said: “Chiang Mai continues to benefit from convenient air access with a multitude of international and domestic flights, and the start of Qatar Airways’ direct service from Doha marks a new era of connectivity between Chiang Mai and the Middle East as well as more than 150 destinations in the airline’s global network.â€
Qatar Airways currently operates 35 times a week to Bangkok from Doha, 14 times a week to Phuket, along with a daily flight to Krabi. From 28th January 2018, the airline will add its fifth Thai destination, Pattaya, including flights between Doha and U-Tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport.
Chiang Mai is Thailand’s second largest city and one of the Kingdom’s most popular destinations. Chiang Mai was voted third best city in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Top 15 Cities for 2017, and ranked 12th in TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards’ Top 25 Destinations in Asia.
