The End of Thai Smile Airways

DALLAS — Thai Airways' (TG) low-cost subsidiary Thai Smile (WE) has officially ended operations. On December 31, 2023, the airline's last flight took place, marking the end of 11 years of the airline's life.

The LCC's demise was first announced in February 2023 when the airline announced that it would merge into the Thai flag carrier, transferring the fleet in its entirety to the parent airline. This not only applies to the low-cost carrier's 20 Airbus A320s but also plans to introduce most of WE's staff to TG.

There are many benefits to the Bangkok-based airline's merger, including the fact that TG now has short-haul aircraft in its fleet. This means that the airline can adapt its use of aircraft types for capacity, something more difficult to do with the airline's previous only-widebody fleet. The merger also means that there is only a need for one air operating certificate, allowing for more efficient performance.

Thai Airways isn't the only Asian airline to have merged with its low-cost subsidiary over the last few years, with Singapore Airlines (SQ) and Cathay Pacific (CX) absorbing Silkair (MI) and Cathay Dragon (KA), respectively. This could be because of the rise in Asian ultra-low-cost carriers operating at prices that the low-cost subsidiaries can't match, leading to the airline remarketing them as legacy carriers.

Singapore Airlines used to own Silk Air before it merged to become fully a part of the airline. Photo: Alberto Cucini/Airways

Thai Smile's History

Thai Smile first began operations in July 2012 after its parent airline felt the need to serve the gap in the market between full-service airlines and low-cost carriers. Its uniqueness showed in 2020 when it began an initiative that was the first of its kind called Flightpass. This allowed passengers to book routes when prices were low, allowing them to decide when they were going to fly the routes later.

Before its merger in 2023, Thai Smile operated a total of 16 domestic routes, as well as a further 14 regional destinations around Asia. The carrier used a fleet made up of a sole aircraft type, the Airbus A320-200.

Thai Smile flight WE268 after arriving in Bangkok one last time. Photo: Alexi van Damme/AX Media Thailand

At 20:45 on December 31, 2023, flight WE268 departed for the last time in the airline's history. The flight lasted around an hour and flew from Thailand's fifth-largest city, Hat Yai, to the country's capital, Bangkok.

Landing ahead of the scheduled time, the flight put an end to one of East Asia's few remaining premium low-cost airlines.

Featured Image: Thai Smile Airbus A320-200. Photo: By Alec Wilson from Khon Kaen, Thailand, HS-TXR, CC BY-SA 2.0