Thai Airways Company or Thai Airways (TAC; th, เดินอากาศไทย) was the domestic

flag carrier A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government for international operations. Hi ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. Its main base was the domestic terminal (Terminal 3) at

Don Mueang International Airport Don Mueang International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานดอนเมือง, , , or colloquially as , ) is one of two international airports serving the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, the other one being Suvarnabhumi Airp ...

(then known as ''Bangkok International Airport''). Its head office was located in

Pom Prap Sattru Phai Pom Prap Sattru Phai ( th, ป้อมปราบศัตรูพ่าย, , or popularly just called Pom Prap, ) is one of the 50 districts (khet) of Bangkok, Thailand. Neighbouring districts are (from north clockwise) Dusit, Pathum Wan, ...

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

. In 1988 Thai Airways merged to become

Thai Airways International Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, trading as THAI (, th, บริษัท การบินไทย จำกัด (มหาชน)) is the flag carrier airline of Thailand. Formed in 1961, the airline has its corporate h ...

( th, การบินไทย).

History

Siamese Airways Company Limited was the domestic

on March 1, 1947, according to a cabinet resolution. The first squadron had

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper versi ...

, Beechcraft C-45,

L-5 Sentinel The Stinson L-5 Sentinel is a World War II-era liaison aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces, U.S. Army Ground Forces, U.S. Marine Corps and the British Royal Air Force. It was produced by the Stinson Division of the Vultee Aircr ...

, Rearwin, Fairchild. The first flight was

Phitsanulok Phitsanulok ( th, พิษณุโลก, ) is an important, historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province. Phitsanulok is home to Naresuan University and Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, as well a ...

Lampang Lampang, also called Nakhon Lampang ( th, นครลำปาง, ) to differentiate from Lampang province, is the third largest city in northern Thailand and capital of Lampang province and the Mueang Lampang district. Traditional names for L ...

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...

and began a Chiang Mai- Mae Sariang-

Mae Hong Son Mae Hong Son ( th, แม่ฮ่องสอน, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in north-west Thailand, capital of Mae Hong Son Province. It is in the Shan Hills, near the border with Burma along the banks of the River Pai. As of 2018, the ...

two days later. The first international flight, a Bangkok-

Songkhla Songkhla ( th, สงขลา, ), also known as Singgora or Singora ( Pattani Malay: ซิงกอรอ), is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. Songkhla lies south of B ...

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the M ...

service, was in December 1947. The Government of Thailand issued a resolution on November 1, 1951, merging Siamese Airways with

Pacific Overseas Airline (Siam) Limited The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

(POAS), forming Thai Airways Company Limited (TAC) ( th, บริษัท เดินอากาศไทย จำกัด (บดท)). It was also known as Thai Airways. Thai Airways established the international flag carrier in 1960,

Company Limited (THAI; th, บริษัท การบินไทย จำกัด), as a joint venture between

Scandinavian Airlines System Scandinavian Airlines, more commonly known and styled as SAS, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. ''SAS'' is an abbreviation of the company's full name, Scandinavian Airlines System or legally Scandinavian Airlines System Denmark ...

(SAS) with the Scandinavian carrier initially providing a 30% share capital of two million

Baht The baht (; th, บาท, ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. Society for Worldw ...

Thai Airways Company Hawker Siddeley HS-748 Volpati-1

Thai Airways bought the turboprop

Avro 748 __NOTOC__ Year 748 ( DCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 748 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calenda ...

in 1963, the jet

Boeing 737-200 The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton Factory in Washington (state), Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the Boeing 707, 7 ...

in 1977,

Short 330 The Short 330 (also SD3-30) is a small turboprop transport aircraft produced by Short Brothers. It seats up to 30 people and was relatively inexpensive and had low maintenance costs at the time of its introduction in 1976. The 330 was based on ...

in 1982,

Short 360 The Short 360 (also SD3-60; also Shorts 360)Mondey, David. ''Encyclopedia of the World's Commercial and Private Aircraft''. New York: Crescent Books, 1981. , p. 228. is a commuter aircraft that was built by UK manufacturer Short Brothers during ...

and

Airbus A310-200 The Airbus A310 is a wide-body aircraft, Aircraft design process, designed and manufactured by Airbus, Airbus Industrie, then a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers. Airbus had identified a demand for an aircraft smaller than the Air ...

in 1985. On April 1, 1988, Thai Airways Company Limited (TAC) merged with

, under the cabinet resolution, single

national airline A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government for international operations. Hist ...

of the Kingdom of Thailand, as authorized by General

Prem Tinsulanonda Prem Tinsulanonda ( th, เปรม ติณสูลานนท์, , ; 26 August 1920 – 26 May 2019) was a Thai military officer, politician, and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from 3 March 1980 to 4 August 1988, ...

, Prime Minister at the time. Thai Airways's 11 aircraft, consisted of 3

, 4

, 2

and 2

, combined fleet with Thai Airways International, total up 41 aircraft.

Airline codes This is a list of airline codes. The table lists IATA's two-character airline designators, ICAO's three-character airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator). Historical assignments are also included.ht IATA airline ...

changed to Thai Airways International's airline codes at the end of 1988.

operates the Larn Luang Office, the former Thai Airways Company head office, in Pom Prap Sattru Phai.

Destinations

Domestic Destinations of Thailand: from/to

–

Chiang Mai International Airport Chiang Mai International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานเชียงใหม่, ) is an international airport serving Chiang Mai, the capital city of Chiang Mai Province in Thailand. It is a major gateway to Northern Thail ...

Chiang Rai Chiang Rai ( th, เชียงราย, ; nod, , เจียงฮาย, ) is the northernmost major city in Thailand, with a population of about 200,000 people. It is located in Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai Province. Chiang Rai ...

– Chiang Rai International Airport *

Hat Yai Hat Yai ( th, หาดใหญ่, , also Haad Yai or Had Yai) is a city in southern Thailand near the Malaysian border. It is south of Bangkok, and has a population of 156,802 (2019) in the city itself and an urban population of about 400,00 ...

–

Hat Yai International Airport Hat Yai International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานหาดใหญ่, ) is an international airport in southern Thailand in Songkhla Province near the city of Hat Yai. It is under the management of Airports of Thailand, PL ...

(formerly destination as

) *

Khon Kaen Khon Kaen ( th, ขอนแก่น, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, also known as the "big four of Isan", the others being Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Ubon Ratchathani. It is the capital of Khon Kaen province and ...

–

Khon Kaen Airport Khon Kaen International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานขอนแก่น is near the city of Khon Kaen in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Th ...

–

Lampang Airport Lampang Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานลำปาง) serves Lampang, the capital city of Lampang Province, Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country ...

Uttaradit The original name of Mueang district, Uttaradit, was Bang Pho. This district was under the control of Phi Chai District. Later, it was established as Uttaradit Province and Bang Pho District became the capital district. It was changed to Mueang ...

–

Phitsanulok Airport Phitsanulok Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานพิษณุโลก) is an airport serving Phitsanulok, a city in the Phitsanulok Province of Thailand. The airport is south of the city's downtown area. Airlines and destination ...

Phuket Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...

–

Phuket International Airport Phuket International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานภูเก็ต, ) is an international airport serving the Phuket Province of Thailand. It is in the north of Phuket Island, from the centre of Phuket City. The airport pl ...

Nakhon Sawan Nakhon Sawan ( th, นครสวรรค์, ) is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in Thailand, the name literally means "Heavenly City". The city is the capital of Nakhon Sawan Province, and covers the complete subdistrict (''tambon'') Pak Nam P ...

– Nakhon Sawan Airport *

Nakhon Si Thammarat Nakhon Si Thammarat Municipality ( th, เทศบาลนครนครศรีธรรมราช, ; from Pali ''Nagara Sri Dhammaraja'') is a municipality (''thesaban nakhon'') in Southern Thailand, capital of Nakhon Si Thammarat prov ...

–

Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport Nakhon Si Thammarat International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานนครศรีธรรมราช is an airport serving Nakhon Si Thammarat, a town in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand. History The airport's first ...

* Sakon Nakhon –

Sakon Nakhon Airport Sakon Nakhon Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานสกลนคร) is an airport in Sakon Nakhon, Thailand. It is used for civil and military purposes (Royal Thai Air Force). Airlines and destinations Accidents *On 23 Septembe ...

Surat Thani Surat Thani ( th, สุราษฎร์ธานี, ) is a city in Amphoe Mueang Surat Thani, Surat Thani Province, southern Thailand. It lies south of Bangkok. It is the capital of Surat Thani Province. The city has a population of 1 ...

– Surat Thani International Airport * Surin –

Surin Airport Surin Bhakdi Airport is in Surin Province, 450 kilometers from Bangkok and 50 kilometers from the Cambodian border. It is the only airport in Thailand to be owned by a local government, i.e., the Surin Provincial Administrative Organisation, and ...

* Trang –

Trang Airport Trang Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานตรัง) is in Tambon Khok Lo, Mueang Trang District, Trang Province, seven km from Trang town centre. Major expansion Despite being solely domestic, passenger numbers have been ...

Ubon Ratchathani Ubon Ratchathani ( th, อุบลราชธานี, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan (with Khorat/Nakhon Ratchasima, Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen), also known as the "big four of Isan." The city is on the Mun River in the south ...

–

Ubon Ratchathani Airport Ubon Ratchathani Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานอุบลราชธานี) is an airport in the capital district of Ubon Ratchathani, in Ubon Ratchathani Province, Northeastern Thailand. It currently serves as both a co ...

Udon Thani Udon Thani ( th, อุดรธานี, ) is a city in Isan (Northeast Thailand), the capital of Udon Thani Province and with a population of approximately 430,000 in its urban area the 7th largest city in the country. The city municipality ...

–

Udon Thani International Airport : ''For the United States use of the facility during the Vietnam War see Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base'' Udon Thani International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานอุดรธานี) is an international airport near the c ...

from/to

–

– Chiang Rai International Airport *

–

Mae Hong Son Airport Mae Hong Son Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานแม่ฮ่องสอน) is an airport in the town of Mae Hong Son in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the ...

* Mae Sariang – Mae Sariang Airport *

Mae Sot Mae Sot ( th, แม่สอด, ; my, မဲဆောက်, ; shn, , ) is a city in western Thailand that shares a border with Myanmar to the west. It is notable as a trade hub and for its substantial population of Burmese migrants and refug ...

–

Mae Sot Airport Mae Sot Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานแม่สอด) is an international airport serving Mae Sot, a town in Tak Province in Thailand. Currently, it is connected to two domestic destinations. Nok Air started the first inte ...

Nan Nan or NAN may refer to: Places China * Nan County, Yiyang, Hunan, China * Nan Commandery, historical commandery in Hubei, China Thailand * Nan Province ** Nan, Thailand, the administrative capital of Nan Province * Nan River People Given name ...

–

Nan Nakhon Airport Nan Nakhon Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานน่านนคร) or formerly Nan Airport () serves Nan, the capital city of Nan Province, Thailand. Flights are available only one destination: Bangkok (BKK and DMK). In 2014, a n ...

from/to

–

(formerly destination as

) *

–

* Pattani – Pattani Airport *

Narathiwat Narathiwat ( th, นราธิวาส, ) is a town (thesaban mueang) in southern Thailand and capital of Narathiwat Province. The town is in the Mueang Narathiwat District and was established in 1936. As of 2008, the population was 40,521. ...

–

Narathiwat Airport Narathiwat Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานนราธิวาส) is an airport in Narathiwat Province, Thailand. Serving the Narathiwat Province Narathiwat ( th, นราธิวาส, Malay: Menara) is one of the so ...

International Destinations: *

Wattay International Airport Wattay International Airport is one of the few List of airports in Laos, international airports in Laos and the country's main international gateway, serving the capital Vientiane, located 3 km (2 mi) outside of the city centre. A lar ...

Vientiane Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

Penang International Airport Penang International Airport is an airport in northern Malaysia. The airport is located near Bayan Lepas at the southeastern tip of Penang Island, south of the city centre.Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the M ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

Kuala Lumpur International Airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is Malaysia's main international airport. It is located in the Sepang District of Selangor, approximately south of Kuala Lumpur and serves the city's greater conurbation. KLIA is the largest and b ...

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

Noi Bai International Airport Nội Bài International Airport ( vi, Sân bay quốc tế Nội Bài) in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is the second largest and busiest airport for passenger traffic, after Tan Son Nhat International Airport. It is currently the main airpo ...

Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

Fleet

*2 Beechcraft C-45 *4 Beechcraft Bonanza 35 *1

Bell 206 The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- and twin-engined helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec, plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter progra ...

*1 Consolidated Canso A *1

Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served w ...

*10

Douglas DC-4 The Douglas DC-4 is an American four-engined (piston), propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. Military versions of the plane, the C-54 and R5D, served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s ...

*1 Fairchild 24W40 *9

Hawker Siddeley HS 748 The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed and initially produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Avro. It was the last aircraft to be developed by Avro prior to its absorption by Hawker Siddeley. ...

*3 Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation *5 Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman *2 Rearwin *1

Piper PA-23 The Piper PA-23, named Apache and later Aztec, is an American four- to six-seat twin-engined light aircraft aimed at the general-aviation market. The United States Navy and military forces in other countries also used it in small numbers. Origin ...

Stinson L-5 Sentinel The Stinson L-5 Sentinel is a World War II-era liaison aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces, U.S. Army Ground Forces, U.S. Marine Corps and the British Royal Air Force. It was produced by the Stinson Division of the Vultee Aircr ...

Incidents and accidents

;25 December 1967: Thai Airways Flight 002, a

Douglas C-47A The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...

(HS-TDH), crashed at

due to pilot error, killing 4 out of 31 passengers and crew on board. ;21 January 1968: A Thai Airways

Sud Caravelle The Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle is a French jet airliner produced by Sud Aviation. It was developed by SNCASE in the early 1950s and made its maiden flight on 27 May 1955. It included some de Havilland designs and components developed for ...

IA (HS-TGL) collided with a Thai Defense

Beechcraft Baron The Beechcraft Baron is a light twin-engined piston aircraft designed and produced by Beechcraft. The aircraft was introduced in 1961. A low-wing monoplane developed from the Travel Air, it remains in production. Design and development The di ...

that was photographing the Caravelle in flight; the Baron lost control and crashed, killing all six on board, but the Caravelle landed safely at Bangkok. ;27 April 1980:

Thai Airways Flight 231 Thai Airways Flight 231 was a scheduled passenger flight that crashed on 27 April 1980. The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 operating the flight, registration HS-THB, stalled and crashed after entering a thunderstorm on approach to Bangkok. The acciden ...

, a

en route from

, lost altitude during a thunderstorm and crashed about 8 miles from

. All four crew members and 40 of the 49 passengers were killed. ;21 June 1980: A Thai Airways Hawker Siddeley HS 748 (HS-THG) overran the runway on takeoff at Chiang Rai Airport after failing to get airborne; all 21 on board survived, but the aircraft was written off. ;15 April 1985: A Thai Airways

(HS-TBB) hit high ground on

and was destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire. All four passengers and seven crew members were killed. The accident occurred after a failure of both engines was reported. ;28 April 1987: A Thai Airways Hawker Siddeley HS 748 (HS-THI) made a wheels-up landing at Chiang Rai Airport after the co-pilot forgot to lower the landing gear; all 43 passengers and crew on board survived, but the aircraft was written off. ;31 August 1987: Thai Airways Flight 365, a Boeing 737-200 (HS-TBC) flying from

, crashed into the sea off Phuket. All nine crew members and 74 passengers were killed.

References

External links