A Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) plane will touch down at Suvarnabhumi airport later on Monday, marking the first direct flight between Thailand and Saudi Arabia following the normalisation of bilateral ties.
Flight SV846 from Riyadh with 120 passengers is due to arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport at 6.05pm, marking the resumption of commercial air transport following a diplomatic breakthrough that culminated in Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's official visit to the Middle Eastern kingdom in late January.
Traisuree Taisaranakul, deputy government spokeswoman, said the airline will operate three flights a week between the Saudi capital Riyadh and Bangkok, and more flights will be added after the Covid-19 pandemic has subsided.
Tourism and travel between the countries have begun to improve, and investments are set to be revived, she said.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has targeted attracting over a million Saudi visitors this year, she said.
Next month, she said, Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn will lead Thai businessmen from the tourism sector to find partners in Saudi Arabia, to boost the tourism industry battered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
