THAI claims it owes Bt24 billion in unused tickets

[webfact]

THAI claims it owes Bt24 billion in unused tickets

By THE NATION

 

 

Thai Airways International Plc (THAI) has reportedly estimated that it owes no more than Bt24 billion to passengers who have already bought tickets.

 

Passengers who hold tickets are considered creditors.

 

Normally, THAI sells between Bt8 billion and Bt10 billion worth of tickets per month, or Bt130 billion worth of tickets per year. It is estimated that the airline sold tickets worth Bt24 billion between March and May.

 

Some passengers who bought the ticket during this period have either postponed their flights or cancelled their tickets due to widespread ban on travel brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

The Central Bankruptcy Court, meanwhile, on May 27 accepted the airline’s application to seek rehabilitation process under the bankruptcy law. As a result, all of THAI’s debt obligations have be put on halt automatically by law, which means THAI has to cease servicing all its debts.

 

According to a statement released by THAI on Wednesday (May 28), the airline has temporarily suspended all its commercial flights due to the outbreak. It has also helped affected passengers by allowing them to change their flight schedules, extend the ticket validity periods or has converted the tickets into travel vouchers. It has also refunded some tickets free of charge.

 

However, due to its entry into the rehab procedure, THAI is forced by law to stop refunding tickets, the statement said, adding that the airline has every intention to take care of passengers who have sought refunds and will inform them of their rights under the rehab process.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30388684

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-05-29

 

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[ChipButty]

Thats a lot of tickets

[ThailandRyan]

Well that's a fine how do you do, that has now been created for all those seeking refunds so they could fly with someone else.  Hopefully they will honor the canceled tickets at the same prices when they restart flying instead of screwing over their customers.  Never a given with any airline or any company when Bankruptcy is entered.  

[worgeordie]

I suppose my daughter is never going to see the 12K Baht they

owe her,they have had her hanging on the phone a few times

already without any timeframe for the refund.

regards Worgeordie

[Trillian]

Nothing unusual about this. Almost every airline in the world is in the same position, they would all collapse if they had to refund tickets already paid for, it's their cash flow lifeline.

[ExpatOilWorker]

My outstanding 60,000 baht with Thai Airways is NOT debt.

I receive no interest payment!

THAI pay what you owe (stole) from your customers. 

[soihok]

I had a trip to Hokkaido in March with ANA

I had to cancel the tickets.

In April I received full refund from ANA - about B100,000

[ThailandRyan]

3 minutes ago, soihok said:

I had a trip to Hokkaido in March with ANA

I had to cancel the tickets.

In April I received full refund from ANA - about B100,000

Has ANA filed for bankruptcy, if not then they can give refunds.  This OP is regarding THAI Airways, but thank you for your story as I am sure others who are in the same boat as you now have hope.

[ezzra]

What a BS on Thai part, they have cancelled my flight early March with a promise to refund the 20k in one month, i have heard nothing from them since, Honor your promises Thai...

[ChipButty]

If they dont pay them refunds I dint think anyone will be booking with Thai in the near future

[Trillian]

1 minute ago, ezzra said:

What a BS on Thai part, they have cancelled my flight early March with a promise to refund the 20k in one month, i have heard nothing from them since, Honor your promises Thai...

British Airways cancelled my flight in April and is required by law to refund the cost within 7 days, I'm still waiting. Honor your promises BA.

[ChipButty]

2 minutes ago, ezzra said:

What a BS on Thai part, they have cancelled my flight early March with a promise to refund the 20k in one month, i have heard nothing from them since, Honor your promises Thai...

My mate had 3 tickets with them at the time they gave him the option to cancel and get a refund that was back in April I'll check with him see if got it

[newatthis]

8 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

If they dont pay them refunds I dint think anyone will be booking with Thai in the near future

Sadly, I don't believe passenger tickets are preferential creditors. According to the other paper, a THAI spokesman said there will be refunds in about 6 months. But, of course, it all comes down to the Administrator.

[smedly]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The Central Bankruptcy Court, meanwhile, on May 27 accepted the airline’s application to seek rehabilitation process under the bankruptcy law. As a result, all of THAI’s debt obligations have be put on halt automatically by law, which means THAI has to cease servicing all its debts.

The kicker - Thailand has no government agency or organisation to protect people who pay for flights or holidays, something worth remembering when buying tickets or package holidays

 

To all those who own a share of this 24b baht - the government has shafted you big time - kiss your money goodbye

[canopus1969]

Can these people not reclaim from their Credit Card companies (Visa, M/card etc) ?

[cyril sneer]

they were probably told to deliberately keep selling tickets for flights they knew would never go ahead or able to be re-booked

[ChipButty]

6 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

they were probably told to deliberately keep selling tickets for flights they knew would never go ahead or able to be re-booked

That was my thought how long did they know they would take this route and kept selling tickets

[Holoman]

I hope that THAI is in the air very soon. I have been flying Thai, former AIR SIAM, almost 100 times and i was never disappointed. This Airline has a very good equipment and an excellent Service on the ground and in the air. Flying Business Class with THAI is more delightful than First Class in some other Carriers. Even the Tourist Class with THAI is worth to mention.

The only problem I experienced wit THAI was an 8 hour delay due to technical problems. All passengers were droven to Hotels near the airport where we enjoyed a midnight dinner and breakfast befor departure.

So please come back, THAI AIRWAYS, I really miss you .

[bangkokfrog]

20 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

they were probably told to deliberately keep selling tickets for flights they knew would never go ahead or able to be re-booked

Interesting perspective, but told by who. I know it won't happen, but if true this is fraud that should go right to the top and result in jail time for the decision-makers involved. So many struggling/failing businesses do the same thing, knowing that unsecured creditors are at the very bottom of the repayment chain. In Thailand such consequences are secondary  to saving face and pretending that the outlook is rosy.

Edited May 29, 2020 by bangkokfrog

[cyril sneer]

2 minutes ago, bangkokfrog said:

Interesting perspective, but told by who. I know it won't happen, but if true this is fraud that should go right to the top and result in jail time for the decision-makers involved. So many struggling/failing businesses do the same thing, knowing that such unsecured creditors are at the very bottom of the repayment chain. In Thailand such consequences are secondary  to saving face and pretending that the outlook is rosy.

being part-owned by the government should help keep them out of trouble

[scorecard]

5 minutes ago, Holoman said:

I hope that THAI is in the air very soon. I have been flying Thai, former AIR SIAM, almost 100 times and i was never disappointed. This Airline has a very good equipment and an excellent Service on the ground and in the air. Flying Business Class with THAI is more delightful than First Class in some other Carriers. Even the Tourist Class with THAI is worth to mention.

The only problem I experienced wit THAI was an 8 hour delay due to technical problems. All passengers were droven to Hotels near the airport where we enjoyed a midnight dinner and breakfast befor departure.

So please come back, THAI AIRWAYS, I really miss you .

So how come there are so many opposite reports on TV and in all media. I could write a book about poor, rude, insulting service from Thai staff over many years. Plus their corporate disdain for paying passengers.

 

E.g:

 

- 'Please transfer me to your complaints department'. 'Cannot, we don't have a complaints department, not needed'.

 

- 'Please transfer me to your complaints department'. Person who answers the phone obviously very young says 'My aunt is the complaints manager, she comes to work after she's taken the children to school and finishes her food shopping for the day, about 10.30 - 11.00 am'. 'OK please ask her to return my call'. 'Cannot, she has a personal policy she doesn't return calls and she doesn't talk to customers at all'. 'OK transfer me to a senior person'. 'Cannot everybody gone to breakfast'. 

[Trillian]

2 minutes ago, scorecard said:

So how come there are so many opposite reports on TV and in all media. I could write a book about poor, rude, insulting service from Thai staff over many years. Plus their corporate disdain for paying passengers.

 

E.g:

 

- 'Please transfer me to your complaints department'. 'Cannot, we don't have a complaints department, not needed'.

 

- 'Please transfer me to your complaints department'. Person who answers the phone obviously very young says 'My aunt is the complaints manager, she comes to work after she's taken the children to school and finishes her food shopping for the day, about 10.30 - 11.00 am'. 'OK please ask her to return my call'. 'Cannot, she has a personal policy she doesn't return calls and she doesn't talk to customers at all'. 'OK transfer me to a senior person'. 'Cannot everybody gone to breakfast'. 

That's far more subtle than BA who make you run through a fifteen minute assault course of IVR message options, if you finally get through them all successfully you may hear the phone go, one ringy dingy. Later, very much later, after you're learned the words and notes of a complete repertoire of songs, melodies and orchestral pieces and endured apologies every twenty seconds, you will hear ....click, and the line will go dead.

[Harry2]

59 minutes ago, canopus1969 said:

Can these people not reclaim from their Credit Card companies (Visa, M/card etc) ?

Good point, they certainly would be able to in say UK, do the same conditions hold around the world?

[canopus1969]

26 minutes ago, Harry2 said:

Good point, they certainly would be able to in say UK, do the same conditions hold around the world?

Yes as the likes of the CC companies are international

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Trillian said:

That's far more subtle than BA who make you run through a fifteen minute assault course of IVR message options, if you finally get through them all successfully you may hear the phone go, one ringy dingy. Later, very much later, after you're learned the words and notes of a complete repertoire of songs, melodies and orchestral pieces and endured apologies every twenty seconds, you will hear ....click, and the line will go dead.

A bit like AirAsia... but to be fair after many attempts to use their robot chat AVA they did at about 60 days give me a a credit for the flight they cancelled. 

Edited May 29, 2020 by scorecard

[BobbyL]

1 hour ago, Holoman said:

I hope that THAI is in the air very soon. I have been flying Thai, former AIR SIAM, almost 100 times and i was never disappointed. This Airline has a very good equipment and an excellent Service on the ground and in the air. Flying Business Class with THAI is more delightful than First Class in some other Carriers. Even the Tourist Class with THAI is worth to mention.

The only problem I experienced wit THAI was an 8 hour delay due to technical problems. All passengers were droven to Hotels near the airport where we enjoyed a midnight dinner and breakfast befor departure.

So please come back, THAI AIRWAYS, I really miss you .

Is this a THAI airways mole? 

[Matzzon]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai Airways International Plc (THAI) has reportedly estimated that it owes no more than Bt24 billion to passengers who have already bought tickets.

Oh! No more! No problem, then.

[ExpatOilWorker]

That is about 1 million tickets, half probably sold overseas where consumers protection follow national laws. They could of course give selective refunds, but I still have hope we will see our money back for tickets purchased in Thailand.

[Emdog]

I kept my big yap shut when many posters seemed content with getting voucher for future flight or whatever.

I apologize for that. Seemed a tad naive and/or foolish to trust airline(s) might still be in business at some unknown date.

[ChrisY1]

A lot of tickets....a huge scam!