Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing basically more direct flights to Thailand. I did a video recently where I talked about the fact that now the USA has again reinstated a direct flight between, I believe it's LA and Bangkok. Now as discussed in that video, there seems to be a layover in Hong Kong. Now I'm not sure if that layover is you just stay on the plane while they board more people and you move on, or if you have to get off, which again that would make the difference, and it makes you kind of question whether or not that is a direct flight. But that said, there is an intentional desire to start rescheduling direct flights between not only in the United States, but also parts of Europe, with parts of Thailand, and this is the intense key point here, as we'll get to in the article I'm going to cite. We are starting to see direct flights with specific cities, like direct flights into Chiang Mai, more direct flights into Phuket. From what I'm hearing we may start seeing the same thing with Pattaya, we may even start seeing the same thing down in Hua Hin at a certain point. 

That said, I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Pattaya Mail, that is pattayamail.com, the article is titled: Air France launches direct Paris-Phuket flights, driving surge in high-end French tourism. Quoting directly: "The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has welcomed the inaugural Air France direct service from Paris to Phuket, marking a significant expansion of Thailand's long-haul connectivity under TAT's Airline Focus strategy." 

Now those who watch me know me. I can be very critical of Government initiatives but credit where credit is due. If TAT has been working on this and they have managed to see a direct flight linked in to Phuket, good for them. That only helps the country, it's good for everybody. Again, high-end tourists, wealthy Parisian tourists directly in Phuket, win-win, win for everybody. Quoting further: "strategy and signaling strong potential for quality growth from France. Flight AF-156 departs Paris on 27 November at 15.50 Hrs. and arrives in Phuket at 09.25 Hrs. The welcome ceremony was presided over by H.E. Mr. John-Claude Poimboeuf, Ambassador of France to Thailand, together with Ms. Suladda Sarutilavan, director of the TAT Europe Region, Mrs. Femke Kroese, General Manager for Southeast Asia and Oceania at Air France, as well as public and private sector partners from Phuket's tourism industry."

Yeah, obviously a lot of folks turned out for this; this is a big deal. Again, these direct flights that go to these cities directly rather than come through Bangkok and then we see them leave, that is a major development. I'm actually noticing more and more, we are seeing a lot less foreigners in Bangkok that are going onward. A lot of them are, “oh we're getting ready to leave the country” but it used to be we would see a lot of them inbound and then they would go elsewhere, and I think one of the reasons we are seeing less of that in Bangkok is because of these direct flights. It's going to be interesting to see how many more of these we get as time goes on, especially as they link into not if you will the “main” cities but some of the again they're not in any kind of tier, they are just other cities here in Thailand: Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya for example, even possibly Hua Hin. Koh Samui down on the islands, places like that. Again, Phuket, Surat Thani direct flights; I've done videos in the past about a lot of direct flights into Surat Thani from Russia. 

As we see all this starting to or continuing to build up, I think it's safe to say we're going to see positive benefits for the Tourism Sector here in the Kingdom of Thailand.