The Hindu Business Line : Thai Airways identifies 3 more destinations in India

(From left) Mr Viroj Sirihorachai, General Manager (India) of Thai Airways; Mr S.C. Kapur, District Sales Manager (Eastern India); and Mr Vutchai Kampanartsanyakorn, General Manager (South), at a press conference in Hyderabad on Wednesday. - G. Krishnaswamy

Hyderabad , Oct. 11

Thai Airways has announced services to three more destinations in India — Hyderabad, Gaya and Varanasi - taking the total destinations in the country to eight. Services to the new destinations would begin on October 30.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr Viroj Sirihorachai, General Manager of India operations, said the airline was eyeing the huge potential for Buddhist tourism in the two northern destinations.

While the services to Hyderabad would be available throughout the year, flights to Gaya (Bihar) and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) would be on only in the winter season (up to March 28), according to Mr S.C. Kapur (Sales Manager for Eastern India).

Tourists from the Eastern countries would visit the popular Buddhist sites during the winter season. From Gaya, they would go to places like Saranath and Lumbini, he said. Mr Viroj said the company was looking at starting services from Amritsar . At present, the airline operates 34 flights (a week) out of India. It would have three flights a week between Hyderabad to Bangkok. The inaugural fare was put at Rs 8,425.

The frequency would go up to five times a week in 2007 and daily the following year.