A direct flight may connect Budapest with Bangkok
Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia may launch a new direct flight between Budapest and Thailand's capital Bangkok this fall. At least, this was stated by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó after his visit to the Thai capital this week.
According to him, the Budapest-Bangkok flight on the 2023 Hungarian-Thai trade horizon worth $730 million was a record, and tourism "also doubled." Szijjártó added that he hopes he will be able to convince AirAsia's management to launch a flight to Budapest, the DailyNewsHungary website reports.
The minister also announced that AirAsia may launch a direct flight between Bangkok and Budapest in the fall, noting that in 2023, tourism figures doubled year-on-year, with more than 10,000 tourists visiting Hungary and Thailand hosting more than 30,000 Hungarians. Szijjarto said that there is a good chance that a direct flight between Bangkok and Budapest will soon be established.
Interestingly, the Hungarian travel publication Utazómajom wrote that Szijjártó Airlines announced the opening of a new direct Bangkok-Budapest flight. However, they admit that one of the international airlines is only evaluating the possibility of launching a new direct flight between the two cities. Let's hope that the title of their article is not just a clickbait, and they know something more than what the Hungarian news agency MTI wrote about Szijjarto's visit and his statements about the possible opening of a new flight.
Another Hungarian travel publication is skeptical: Hungarian tourists can visit Bangkok via Vienna, traveling with Austrian Airlines or EVA Air. The travel time is 10 hours. Bangkok is ideal for traveling to the world-famous Pattaya Beach by bus. Another option is the spectacular island of Ko Chang, just a short drive from the airport.
Bangkok is ideal for anyone who wants to discover Southeast Asia, as it offers cheap tickets on low-cost airlines connecting Bangkok with major metropolitan areas in the region. However, given the number of such announcements and their implementation, it is worth waiting for a detailed statement on this matter.
Another Hungarian travel publication remains skeptical about the new flight. They say that Szijjártó did not share any details about the plans, and as for the mechanism of Air Asia's work, we will be able to use the provided flight only after we can start booking tickets. They said that the Malaysian low-cost airline does not operate flights to Europe.
For 2022, flights to London, Istanbul, Vienna, Prague, and Budapest were planned, but nothing happened. So we have to remain realistic about this statement as well. The landscape of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok in the evening with a view of birds. Bangkok city at night, a hotel and residential area in the Thai capital.
The Hungarian government likes to announce the opening of new flights as part of its success promotion. Marton Nagy, for example, did so in the case of the Hungary-Uzbekistan route last year, but no planes ever took off. However, even Okosutas admits that the demand for a direct Bangkok-Budapest flight is much higher than for an Uzbekistan-Hungary flight.
Travel Wise wrote about the top 10 hotels in Budapest worth staying at.