Thai AirAsia (FD, Bangkok Don Mueang) is planning to increase the share of its domestic operations departing from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to around 20% as it sees the Thai market as one of the key growth areas in the face of international challenges, the carrier said in its half-year report.
"While increased capacity from competitors has resulted in a softer fare environment, given the seasonal effect, domestic pricing remains at an acceptable level, to be partially supported by short-term government subsidies in 3Q2025 via 'Travel Thai Half-Half' campaigns to stimulate domestic travel," the low-cost carrier said. "Thai AirAsia is building on domestic resilience while pursuing selective international growth."
ch-aviation data shows that Bangkok's main gateway currently already accounts for around 19.2% of all domestic operations (by frequency) of the airline. However, this puts the airport only as the third-largest station for the airline, lagging behind its main base at Bangkok Don Mueang (72.7% of all frequencies) and Chiang Mai (24.8%). Thai AirAsia's network from Suvarnabhumi is currently exclusively domestic, with all international departures from the capital metro scheduled out of Don Mueang.
The airline is optimistic that the domestic market will provide some buffer against the international challenges, particularly related to the lagging demand from China, Thailand's core foreign market.
"Travel sentiment was discouraged following multiple headwinds - including a significant drop in Chinese tourist numbers, Thailand-Cambodia regional border issues, and shifts in global economic policy - which were compounded by domestic natural disasters and a stiff economy. As a result, the government's 2025 target of 39 million total arrivals is unlikely to be met, with current forecasts standing at 34-35 million," the airline outlined.
The airline said that the Chinese market was unlikely to rebound unless "there are signs of a structural shift, such as supportive government policies or an alleviation of traveller safety concerns". In the first seven months of 2025, the number of Chinese arrivals to Thailand dropped by over a third compared to 2019. For the first time in 12 years, the full-year number of tourists from the country is expected to be below 5 million, down by more than half compared to the record of over 11 million in 2019.
"The airline will increase frequencies to high-growth markets such as India and Vietnam, with 15–20 per cent year-on-year capacity growth in the second half of 2025, as well as pursue opportunities in fifth-freedom and seasonal routes such as Don Mueang - Gaya," the LCC added.
The airline emphasised that its fifth-freedom routes were currently more profitable than most direct international services from Thailand. Thai AirAsia currently operates five fifth-freedom routes connecting Taiwan and Hong Kong with Japan.
The airline currently operates 62 aircraft (forty-four A320-200s, eleven A320-200Ns, and seven A321-200NX) and plans to take two more A321-200NX by year-end, down from the previous plan of adding four more units.
