BANGKOK — Limited-edition tote bags made from life vests and emergency door’s slide rafts are Thai Airways’ next step in an attempt to stay afloat amid the bankruptcy rehabilitation.
The industrial styled bags are the latest innovation from the same airline behind the airplane-themed cafes and deep fried doughs that went viral on social media. Preorders for the bags are available on Thursday, Thai Airways said.
“Help save the world from climate change; Thai Airways International introduces ‘Re-Life Collection,’ the bags reproduced from our disposed life vests and slide rafts,” the airline’s website said.
Bags in the “Project: Re” collection sell for anything from 390 baht for a small pouch, to 4,990 baht lor a large, supposedly heavy-duty bag. The 1,590 and 1,990 baht bags have the pull tabs from life vests attached to them. Each bag is also one-of-a-kind, since vests have different serial numbers.
The airline is apparently anticipating large sales, since customers will be limited to two bags per order when the sales goes online on 2:19pm Thursday.
The items will be delivered in two month’s time, on Dec. 20 – just in time for Christmas!
The company, which had total liabilities of 332 billion baht, filed a restructuring plan back in May after a continued loss of passengers following the coronavirus pandemic that grounded its operations worldwide.
In September, the airline launched a cafe selling in-flight meals on the ground in a bid to earn some revenues as the court deliberates on its reorganization. Staff also started a food stall operation on Silom Road selling patong go, or deep fried doughs.
Thai Airways acting president Chansin Treenuchagorn said the dough fritters were so popular that they sold out in a couple hours each day, earning the company 10 million baht a month, though some netizens are skeptical at the figures.
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