Thai AirAsia and Thai AirAsia X will restore ten suspended international services from October, expanding flights across East, South, and Southeast Asia. The schedule revision reverses service reductions introduced earlier this year due to elevated jet fuel costs and subdued mid-year demand. It directly affects British nationals living in Thailand. For UK expatriates, the changes restore affordable cross-border transit links ahead of the high season, offering practical routes for routine visa renewal trips, business travel, and regional holidays. Operations will centre on Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport, bringing the budget group’s international network to 53 routes serving 46 cities.
Regional Connections and Short-Haul Travel
Two key Southeast Asian routes resume on 25 October. Thai AirAsia will reinstate services connecting Don Mueang with Kuala Lumpur, a primary regional hub frequently used by British residents for onward travel or administrative business. On the same date, the airline will resume flights between Phuket and Siem Reap in Cambodia. This cross-border connection bypasses Bangkok entirely. It provides expats living in southern Thailand with a fast, direct route for short visits abroad or mandatory immigration resets without the expense of transiting the capital.
The carrier will also reopen six suspended routes to India between late October and mid-November. Direct flights from Don Mueang to Gaya commence on 25 October, followed by Ahmedabad on 6 November. Flights to Guwahati, Hyderabad, and Lucknow will return on 16 November, with services to Jaipur resuming on 17 November. These additions expand the airline’s Indian network to 11 cities.
Expanded Routes to Japan and Central Asia
Medium-haul operator Thai AirAsia X will increase frequencies to Japan from Don Mueang. Flights to Tokyo will rise to 21 departures per week, while services to Osaka will increase to 14 weekly flights. Sapporo services resume on 1 October with four weekly flights, expanding to a daily service from 1 December. Nagoya flights return on 2 October, running four times weekly.
These adjustments provide British residents with regular budget options for northern hemisphere winter travel, particularly during the Japanese ski season. Beyond East Asia, the airline will operate four weekly flights each to New Delhi and Almaty. The direct link to Almaty in Kazakhstan offers an alternative long-distance overland and air corridor connecting Southeast Asia with Central Asia, a route rarely served by low-cost carriers in the region.
Domestic Capacity and Provincial Links
The group will expand domestic flying within Thailand by more than 50 per cent over the final quarter of the year. Daily domestic departures will increase to 135 flights between October and December, up from a peak average of 88 flights per day during the third quarter. The increase in seat capacity is expected to stabilise domestic ticket prices, which typically rise sharply during the peak winter tourist influx.
Interprovincial connectivity will also improve outside the capital. From 25 October, Thai AirAsia will launch direct flights between Phuket and two major hubs in the northeast: Khon Kaen and Udon Thani. The Khon Kaen service will operate up to three times weekly, while Udon Thani will receive up to four flights per week. For British retirees and residents with families in Isaan who commute to or work in the south, these direct services remove the necessity of booking connecting flights through Bangkok, cutting several hours off transit times.
Source: thethaiger.com
Reviewed by the Thailand Guide Editorial Team • Last reviewed: 25 September 2026
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