DALLAS – Today, in 1988, Thailand’s then Prime Minister, General Prem Tinsulanonda, announced a cabin resolution to merge the country’s two national carriers to form Thai Airways International (TG).
Previously, Thailand was served by one domestic and one international airline. As a result of the merger, TG was valued at 2,230 million Thai Baht.
Domestic Developments
The domestic arm, Thai Airways Company (TH), can trace its history back to November 1, 1951, when Siamese Airways and Pacific Overseas Airlines merged. TH was based in Bangkok and operated a wide and varied fleet, from the Hawker Siddeley HS748 to the Airbus A310.
In 1959, TH joined forces with SAS Scandinavian Airline System (SK) to establish an international carrier. SK provided two million Thai baht to purchase 30% of the shares, plus operational, managerial, and marketing expertise. It also helped to train the airline’s new pilots and flight attendants.
International Expansion
Flights commenced on May 1, 1960, from Bangkok to Hong Kong, Taipei, and Tokyo using a fleet of three Douglas DC-6Bs leased from SAS. The airline soon added eleven additional international destinations across Asia. Eighty-three thousand passengers were carried in the first year.
The airline quickly became renowned for its exquisite ‘Royal Orchid Service’ Intercontinental services using Douglas DC-8 jets commenced in 1971 to Australia, followed by Europe in 1972. Flights to North America began in 1980 using a fleet of six wide-bodied Douglas DC-10s.
On April 1, 1977, the Thai government purchased SAS’s remaining shares, with the airline becoming a fully-owned state enterprise of the country’s government.
Featured image showsThai Airways International Boeing 747-400 pictured in a retro livery. The airline retired its Boeing 747 fleet in 2021.
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Exploring Airline History Volume I
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David H. Stringer, the History Editor for AIRWAYS Magazine, has chronicled the story of the commercial aviation industry with his airline history articles that have appeared in AIRWAYS over two decades. Here, for the first time, is a compilation of those articles.
Subjects A through C are presented in this first of three volumes. Covering topics such as the airlines of Alaska at the time of statehood and Canada's regional airlines of the 1960s, the individual histories of such carriers as Allegheny, American, Braniff, and Continental are also included in Volume One. Get your copy today!
December 2024
