Russian flag carrier, Aeroflot, will resume flights from Moscow to Phuket starting on Oct 30, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said.
The resumption of regular flights to the resort island by the Russian airline after its suspension in March will boost Thailand’s tourism industry, he said on Tuesday.
Flights were suspended at the onset of the Russian-Ukraine war which saw Russian airlines banned from the airspace of several countries.
Mr Thanakorn said the resumption of services by Aeroflot would revitalise tourism for both countries, which will help stimulate the Thai economy.
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the winter months could see a spike in the number of arrivals from Russia.
Since the beginning of the year about, 76,700 Russian visitors have come to Thailand. However, the TAT and tourism operators have set a target of attracting 1 million Russians for the whole year, Mr Thanakorn said.
With the resumption of Aeroflot’s scheduled flights to Phuket, more airlines are likely to fly to or resume services to Thailand, he added.
About 3.1 million international visitors arrived in Thailand between Jan 1 and July 26, which is an impressive number, the government spokesman said.
The sharp rebound from last year was owed to effective policies and the hard work of all parties involved in getting the tourism industry back on track, he added.
The favourable outlook would be significant for reviving the economy that had stagnated for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Thanakorn said.
In July alone, two million people travelled in and out of the country, up from an average of 576,000 travellers per month between January to June, according to a source at the Transport Ministry.