Condor, a leading German leisure airline, has returned to Thailand with a splash, offering new flight routes that are sure to excite German travelers. The airline is now operating four weekly flights between Frankfurt and Bangkok, along with three weekly flights connecting Frankfurt to Phuket. This move comes as a welcome boost for Thailand’s tourism industry, which has been steadily recovering from the pandemic.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) celebrated the return of Condor’s Frankfurt-Bangkok flight with a traditional Thai welcome ceremony at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The inaugural Frankfurt-Phuket flight was similarly welcomed with a special event at Phuket International Airport.
Condor is utilizing the spacious Airbus A330neo for its Thailand routes, accommodating 310 passengers in three classes: Business, Premium Economy, and Economy. The airline’s return adds to the already growing number of airlines flying between Germany and Thailand. Other notable carriers include Thai Airways International, which operates daily flights between Bangkok-Frankfurt and Bangkok-Munich, as well as Lufthansa, offering a daily service on the Bangkok-Munich route.
The enthusiasm for Thailand among German travelers is evident in forward booking numbers. According to TAT data, bookings from German travelers for the October to December 2024 period show a 22% increase compared to the same period in 2023. This surge can be attributed to upcoming long weekends and the highly anticipated 2025 New Year Countdown celebrations.
Thailand’s tourism sector is experiencing a strong rebound. In 2023, Thailand received approximately 87% of the German visitor numbers it recorded in 2019, with a total of 729,163 German tourists contributing 43.18 billion Baht in revenue. This represents an 83% recovery from pre-pandemic levels. For 2024, Thailand anticipates welcoming around 979,000 German visitors, generating an estimated 65 billion Baht, signaling a complete return to pre-pandemic levels. Condor’s return to Thailand further strengthens the already robust German tourism market, offering travelers even more options to experience the captivating beauty and rich culture of this Southeast Asian gem.