Things just got even easier for anyone planning a vacation to Southeast Asia from Dubai.
Emirates announced a new codeshare agreement with Thailand-based Bangkok Airways, which will allow customers to fly hassle-free through Emirates to 14 new destinations including Koh Samui and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Siem Reap in Cambodia, and Yangon and Mandalay in Myanmar.
Not only will residents of the United Arab Emirates and Southeast Asia benefit from easier transitions between destinations, but the agreement also will work to connect Western nations more smoothly to Southeast Asia.
"Our new codeshare agreement with Bangkok Airways will provide our passengers with increased choice, flexibility and ease of connection to different cities across Southeast Asia to and from Dubai, ultimately offering a smoother, more convenient travel experience," Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer said, in a press release.
"Emirates already offers six daily services to Bangkok, and from December, four of these services will be operated by our flagship A380 aircraft. This provides many options to connect to the region as part of our new codeshare. Together with Bangkok Airways, we are taking more people to more places and opening up new South East Asian destinations to people around the world."
Bangkok Airways’ Senior Vice President for Network Management, Peter Wiesner, also expressed excitement over the new agreement.
"This new codeshare agreement with Emirates is yet another important milestone and an exciting development in the continued growth of Bangkok Airways. It allows us to give our customers around the region convenient, seamless access to Dubai and onwards to the rest of the world through our extensive regional route network, direct from their local airport," he said.
Thailand is the fourth largest growth market for the Gulf carriers – Emirates, along with Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways – in 2015.