PHUKET — Air France’s inaugural flight AF156 from Paris touched down at Phuket International Airport on Friday, marking the start of a new seasonal route aimed at capturing growing European demand for Thai destinations.
The service will operate three times weekly through March 2026 using Boeing 777-200 aircraft with 328 seats, according to Suladdha Srutil-Lavarn, regional director for Europe at the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Air France also maintains twice-daily Paris-Bangkok service.
French tourist arrivals in Thailand reached 710,968 from January through November 23, up 13.8% from the same period in 2024, Suladdha said. The travelers, predominantly first-time visitors who prefer independent travel, spend an average of 58,611 baht ($1,670) per trip and stay approximately 17 days.
Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi and Surat Thani rank as the most popular destinations for French tourists. Thailand expects 846,000 French visitors in 2025, contributing to a projected 11 million total long-haul arrivals — a 16% revenue increase compared to 2024.
Flight Capacity Drives Growth
The expansion reflects Thailand’s “Airline Focus” strategy to boost long-haul tourism through increased air connectivity. Flight capacity from Europe has risen more than 16% this year compared to last year and stands 5% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels, officials said.
Tourism authorities are targeting 8.8 million European visitors in 2026, pushing total long-haul arrivals to 11.6 million. Additional routes under discussion include Norse Atlantic service from Stockholm and Oslo to Phuket, with partnerships involving Norse Atlantic, Condor, TUI, British Airways and Air France.
As of November 23, Thailand had welcomed 6.94 million European tourists, up nearly 13% year-over-year. Officials project 8.45 million European visitors by year-end, surpassing 2019 figures.
Major markets including Britain, Germany and France may each exceed 1 million visitors in 2025, while Russian arrivals could reach 2 million, according to tourism authority estimates.
Suladdha noted that while European tourist spending averages over 60,000 baht per trip with two-week stays — particularly in luxury, health and wellness categories — the market cannot fully offset declines in short-haul Asian tourism due to population and flight capacity differences.
The tourism authority is also pursuing direct flights from Poland and other Eastern European countries that currently only have charter service to Thailand.
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