Thai Vietjet hopes new U-tapao-Ho Chi Minh route will boost tourism

Pattaya city could benefit from new direct flights by Thai Vietjet linking U-tapao airport and Ho Chi Minh City. (Post Today photo)

Thai Vietjet will add a new route between U-tapao airport and Ho Chi Mihn City that the airline hopes will bring more tourists to Thailand.

The budget airline on Monday announced daily flights between U-tapao airport in Rayong province and Tan Son Nhat, the southern Vietnamese city's international airport, commencing on Dec 23.

The airline said the new direct service will help feed travellers from southern Vietnam to Pattaya city and Rayong.

Thai Vietjet, a division of the Vietjet umbrella, links Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket with the Vietnamese cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dalat, Da Nang and Hai Phong.

The flights between U-tapao and Ho Chi Minh City will be its first to directly serve Pattaya and Rayong.

There were almost 900,000 Vietnamese arrivals to Thailand from January to October this year, up about 2% from the same period in 2018, figures from the Tourism and Sports Ministry show. Vietnam was the third most frequent source of visitors to Thailand from Asean countries, after Malaysians and Laotians.