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Thai Airways (IATA code: TG) —or sometimes known as THAI—is the only airline that carries Thailand’s national flag. The airline has the vision to become the number one choice for flights, and carries the slogan "I FLY - Smooth as silk." From Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thai Airways operates flights to 84 destinations around the world, supported by 94 fleets and 22,684 crews. Thai Airways flight routes are focused mostly on Europe, East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. The airline also serves flights to five cities in Oceania. Thai Airways was the first Asia-Pacific airline to open a route to Heathrow Airport in London. In Europe, Thai Airways has the largest passenger operations. Since its presence in 1988, the airline has produced and applied technological innovation in its businesses, while promoting the impressive culture and traditions of Thailand worldwide. As a result, the airline has won various awards, including Best Economy Class Seats and Best Premium Economy Class Catering in 2011, Asia’s Best Cabin Staff in 2014, and Most Improved Airline and Best Airline Spa Facility in 2016. In its day to day operations, Thai Airways offers four flight classes, which are Economy Class, Premium Economy Class, Royal Silk Class (Business Class), and Royal First Class. Thai Airways is widely known for its affordable tickets and excellent service in its Economy Class. Thai Airways’ Economy Class provides a spacious seating arrangement and is equipped with audio-visual systems on demand (AVOD). It provides a variety of entertainment choices ranging from movies to meditation practices. Passengers in the Economy Class are also entitled to 20 kg of checked baggage, both on domestic and international flights. Meanwhile, Royal Silk Class passengers are entitled to 40 kg of checked baggage and Royal First Class passengers, 50 kg. Infants not purchasing an individual ticket are entitled to 10 kg of baggage, excluding baby carriers and strollers, while child passengers will get the same baggage allowance as adult passengers. Thai Airways also offers the Royal Orchid Plus program for passengers who want to earn points in the form of Qualifying Miles (Q Miles) while flying with Thai Airways and fellow Star Alliance carriers. The points can be redeemed for a variety of benefits, such as a class upgrade on Thai Airways or fellow Star Alliance flights, or hotel stays. There are four types of Royal Orchid Plus membership, namely Basic, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Silver members of Royal Orchid Plus are also entitled to 10 kg of extra baggage, while Gold members are entitled to 20 kg of extra baggage. To board an international flight, passengers are advised to check in at the airport at least 40 minutes before departure, and present themselves at the boarding gate at least 10 minutes before departure. While for domestic flights, passengers must check in at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time , as the gate will be closed 10 minutes before the plane departs.

Thai Airways was originally established in 1960 as a joint venture with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), who held 30% of Thai Airways’ shares. This collaboration was aimed to build an international flight business unit out of an existing domestic flight unit. SAS provided operational, managerial, and marketing training so that Thai Airways could become an independent national airline within a short time. Gradually, the Thai Government took over the managerial responsibilities and reduced the number of expatriate employees within the airline. On 1 April 1977, after 17 years of cooperation between THAI and SAS, Thai nationals bought the remaining shares owned by SAS and Thai Airways became an airline owned by the Thai Government. At that time, Thai Airways was already operating flights to nine countries from Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok. In 1987, the number of expatriates was reduced to only 1% of the total Thai Airways staffs. Thai Airways has been listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand since 1991, and now the Thai Ministry of Finance owns 51% of its shares, in which 47% was offered to the public. In 1997, Thai Airways planned to undergo a privatization program, which was the first in the history of Thailand. Throughout the 2000s, Thai Airways developed its business by adding more routes and aircrafts. In 2005, Thai Airways created non-stop services from Bangkok to New York and from Bangkok to Los Angeles, using Airbus A340-500s. At that time, these routes were the longest non-stop flights in the world. However, the routes were disbanded in 2008 due to high fuel costs, restrictions on baggage weight, and increasingly high ticket prices. The flight to Los Angeles was converted into a one-stop service via Seoul on 1 May 2012, and instead of using A340s, the airline started using Boeing 777-200ER. In 2006, Thai Airways moved its operational hub to the new Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. The airline also launched a new brand image by introducing a new crew uniform design, new aircraft seats, and better ground and air services. In this decade, Thai Airways has also expanded its route network beyond its Bangkok hub, and begun serving flights from Phuket to Tokyo-Narita, Seoul, and Hong Kong. However in the late 2000s, Thai Airways’ growth was hampered due to the world’s rising oil price, the domestic political turmoil in Thailand, the global economic crisis of late 2000s. For the first time, Thai Airways experienced losses in 2008 after continually achieving profitability for 40 years. After some restructuring initiatives, including a two-year deferral of Airbus A380 delivery, the company began to get its profit back. To celebrate its 50th birthday in 2010, Thai Airways purchased Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 and upgraded the cabin of its Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 to improve its services. In December 2011, Thai Airways launched a test flight as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, which was then called Travel Green. The program was aimed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in regional air travel and to solidify the position of Thailand as the "bio hub" of Asia. Thai Airways has begun its first step to becoming the first airline in Asia to use biofuel on commercial flights.