Thailand proposes airfare limits for overseas booking platforms
Third-party sites quoted Yi Peng fares as high as ฿28,000, the aviation regulator said. The proposal has neither a draft law nor a start date.
Overseas flight-booking platforms would face registration requirements and maximum fares in Thailand under legislation requested by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT). Its request follows Bangkok–Chiang Mai tickets advertised at more than ฿20,000 ahead of Yi Peng, scheduled for November 23–26.
The regulator has written to the Commerce Ministry seeking powers to apply fare limits to online travel agencies. Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat called for the ministry to develop the rules with the Transport Ministry and the Office of the Consumer Protection Board. No draft legislation or implementation date has been set.
On November 12, CAAT attributed festival ticket quotations of up to ฿28,000 to third-party platforms rather than airlines. Siripong said airlines distribute some seats through agency quotas, and most online platforms involved are overseas companies unregistered in Thailand whose charges are not restricted by Thai law.
For bookings made directly with airlines on the route, Siripong put the one-way ceiling for low-cost services at about ฿5,000, depending on promotions. He said full-service tickets cost just over ฿7,000.
Siripong also linked high fares to strong festival demand and roughly 60 fewer flights a day on the route, with airlines adjusting schedules around sky-lantern releases. Current fare protections apply to airline-website purchases and bookings through travel agencies subject to Thai law.
