AirAsia’s new flights to Siem Reap kick off with rock-bottom THB999 fares

AirAsia will soon begin flights from Bangkok to Siam Reap, a route that has long been dominated by Bangkok Airways.

The budget airline’s entry into this market comes with an impressive promotional one-way fare of THB999 ($32), which will likely kick off a price war between the low-cost carrier and it’s more established competition.

Technically AirAsia is advertising a THB79 fare, but as you’ve probably surmised that’s simply too good a deal to exist. In addition to the fare itself, there’s a fuel surcharge of THB220 and an airport tax of THB700.

The extra taxes aside, THB999 is still a great deal for a Bangkok-Siam Reap flight and far more reasonable than a comparable Bangkok Airlines flight, which currently runs at THB6600.

AirAsia said that the promotion is available only for the first 8,000 seats. Once the promotion is over tickets will run about THB3,000.

For years the high cost of this route made it prohibitively expensive for many backpackers, but the Cambodian government seems to have woken up the financial incentive and finally invited low-cost carriers into the fray.

Last year Siem Reap attracted 1.5 million foreign visitors, while Cambodia as a whole was visited by 3.5 million foreigners who contributed more than USD2 billion to its economy.

Thailand’s AirAsia chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld said it took the airline five years to obtain permission. AirAsia will be the first budget carrier and third airline to operate the Bangkok-Siem Reap route, the Bangkok Post reported.

 



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