Measures include adding 247 flights and 73,388 seats to ease congestion and reduce ticket costs, reports state news agency NNT.
Sasikarn Wattanachan, Deputy Government Spokeswoman, announced that the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has been tasked with monitoring airfare trends and working with airlines to increase capacity during the holiday season.
The move comes as ticket prices are expected to surge between Dec 27-28, and Jan 1-2 due to heightened demand and a reduced number of planes ‒ currently 76 fewer than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
To address the shortfall, the Thai Airlines Association will add 247 flights, offering an additional 48,244 seats from Dec 26 to Jan 5. Many of these seats will be allocated to low-cost tickets, which became available for booking on November 18, 2024, Ms Sasikarn explained.
Thai Airways International will also deploy larger aircraft on high-demand routes, including Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, adding 25,144 seats from early December to early January.
Travellers were advised to book tickets early and compare prices across multiple channels to avoid last-minute costs, which tend to be higher when purchased through online travel agencies.
Ms Sasikarn urged the public to prioritise direct bookings through airline websites for better pricing transparency.