MOTAC Urges Expansion Of New Flight Routes With Thailand

By Kenny Teng Khoon Hock

BANGKOK, April 12 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) urged the development of flight routes between Malaysia and Thailand to be expanded more strategically, rather than focusing solely on the main Bangkok–Kuala Lumpur route.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, said the proposal—which also includes introducing more new destinations to stimulate bilateral tourism growth—was raised during his meeting with Thai Airways and Thai Vietjet Air during his recent working visit to Bangkok.

He stressed that the development of new routes should adopt a multi-gateway approach by expanding air connections to Sabah and Sarawak, thereby reducing dependence on Kuala Lumpur as the sole hub.

“This approach not only improves accessibility but also helps distribute tourist flows more evenly across the country,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

In addition, Tiong also proposed that direct flight connectivity be strengthened between cities in northern Thailand, such as Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, and Malaysia.

According to him, these areas possess unique cultural, religious, and nature-based tourism attractions that hold great potential for the Malaysian market, while simultaneously opening up broader opportunities for bilateral tourist flow.

Elaborating further, Tiong said that the development of air routes should be aligned with marketing strategies, including cooperation between Tourism Malaysia, airlines and travel agencies, to ensure sustainable demand.

He stated that flight routes are a vital element in driving tourist movement, trade, and investment; therefore, the development of a broader network will strengthen Malaysia's position within the regional aviation ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Tiong said that Thai Vietjet Air also shared plans to launch a direct Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi International Airport) – Kuala Lumpur route this August, with the potential to increase frequency to two flights daily depending on demand.

At present, Thai Vietjet Air operates an extensive domestic flight network within Thailand, focusing on popular destinations such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi and Udon Thani.

The airline also operates international flights from Thailand to Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Japan, and India, with hubs at Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Phuket International Airport.

-- BERNAMA