Thai AirAsia Resumes Suvarnabhumi Flights After 10-Week Suspension

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Thai AirAsia is back at Bangkok’s main international gateway. The budget carrier resumed Suvarnabhumi flights on October 1, 2026, restoring service to Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Krabi after a 10-week suspension driven by high fuel costs and softer travel demand.

Why the Routes Were Suspended

Thai AirAsia pulled nine routes out of Suvarnabhumi on July 15, 2026 — including Chiang Mai, Phuket, Buri Ram, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, and Udon Thani — shifting those flights to Don Mueang, the airline’s main base. CEO Phairat Pornpathananangoon said the airline had been “required to reduce flights because of persistently high aviation fuel prices and softer travel demand,” following an earlier 30% capacity cut in May and June for the same reasons.

What’s Resuming at Suvarnabhumi

Only three of the nine suspended routes are returning to Suvarnabhumi for now: Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Krabi. Chiang Mai starts at 30 flights a week, rising to six daily from October 25. Phuket begins at four daily, increasing to 31 weekly from October 27. Krabi runs a steady two flights a day from the October 1 restart. Pornpathananangoon described the move as part of an effort to “increase routes and frequencies to provide passengers with greater convenience, value and international service standards.”

What This Means for Travelers

Travelers booking Thai AirAsia flights to Chiang Mai, Phuket, or Krabi should double-check which Bangkok airport their ticket departs from, since the route moved between Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi twice within a few months. The remaining six routes — Buri Ram, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Surat Thani — stay at Don Mueang for now, so travelers flying those routes shouldn’t assume Suvarnabhumi applies to them too.

Bottom Line

Thai AirAsia’s return to Suvarnabhumi on its three busiest domestic routes signals improving conditions after a rough stretch of high fuel costs and soft demand earlier in 2026. For now, only Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Krabi fly from Suvarnabhumi — everything else booked through Thai AirAsia still departs from Don Mueang.

Source: The Nation Thailand