British firm TUI ranks kingdom high

TUI Travel, a leading British leisure company, views Thailand as one of the biggest markets for its charter-flight business, behind India and Maldives, because the Kingdom is one of the major tourist destinations and also has the infrastructure to serve a growing market.

Chief executive officer Peter Long said the company in November would launch its first direct flight to Phuket from London via Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The firm will also bring passengers here from Germany and Nordic countries, where it has a network. Last year, TUI carried 200,000 passengers from Germany and 110,000 from Nordic nations to Thailand.

On 787 Dreamliners, the firm expects to carry 7,000 passengers in its first year. The starting price of the package including 14 nights' accommodation is below