Tourism Thailand : TAT RELEASE > AIRASIA EMBARKS ON REGIONAL CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT OF THAILAND’S TOURISM

BANGKOK, 16 December 2008 – AirAsia, Asia’s leading and award winning low-fare airline kicks off a massive regional marketing campaign aptly themed “Get Your Baht To Thailand”, “Mai Pen Rai Thailand” and “Same Same Thailand” as part of its initiative to support Thailand’s travel, trade and tourism by offering 100, 000 free seats* from its hubs primarily in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Johor), Thailand (Bangkok) and Indonesia (Jakarta).

Prior to this, the Thailand tourism sector has been severely affected evident with the declining number of visitors attributed to the recent political upheaval. Thus this proactive campaign initiated by the ‘People’s Airline’, is a joint collaboration between AirAsia and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) aimed to bring back tourists and businessmen by reinstating the core message that it is now safe to travel back to the ‘Land of Smiles’. AirAsia Group operates over 400 international weekly flights that directly connect Thailand to the rest of Southeast Asia and China. Within Thailand, AirAsia Group’s Bangkok-based affiliate, Thai AirAsia, operates 378 flights weekly.

Dato’ Sri Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia Berhad said “As an ‘Asean Airline’, we are pleased to be the first airline to respond to this recent political instability climate by driving the traffic back to the country with this free seat campaign. It is also part of our continuous efforts to promote and contribute to the growth of Thailand’s tourism industry by sustaining the country’s reputation as a premier tourist destination. We hope that this campaign will instill the confidence among travelers and also help to boost tourism which is vital at this juncture. It is also noteworthy to highlight that prior to this, we have also provided rescue flights on a daily basis between Kuala Lumpur and U-Tapao since the naval base was opened to commercial flights on November 28. With close to 800 domestic and international flights weekly to and from the various points in Thailand, we are more than confident that the country’s tourism will bounce back,”

“Thailand is ranked as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and well known for its scenic natural landscapes. For example Chiang Mai is blessed with stunning natural beauty, Krabi and Phuket are popular for its beaches and not to forget an abundance of shopping venues in the capital city, Bangkok in addition to the rich, exotic culture of the people. With our rapid expansion and ongoing brand new Airbus A320 fleet roll-out, we expect our capacity to grow and more new points connected within ASEAN and beyond so that more people can fly with us.” concluded Tony

Ms. Phornsiri Manoharn, Governer of Tourism Authority of Thailand commented, "We are more than happy to collaborate with AirAsia in this campaign. Again, we would like to thank AirAsia for actively contributing to the growth of Thailand’s tourism industry and for helping the country uphold its reputation as a premier tourist destination.

The 100,000 free*seats * allocation includes all international flights on AirAsia’s route network in Thailand- from Bangkok hub to Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi), Cambodia (Phnom Penh), Myammar (Rangoon), Jakarta, Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru), Singapore, China (Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau) and from Phuket to Singapore. Free seats are also available for domestic destinations from Bangkok to Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani, Hat Yai, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiawat and Ranong. The free seats also include routes from Kuala Lumpur to Phuket, Chiang Mai and Krabi.

This regional campaign will be launched exclusively online at www.airasia.com for the booking period between 17 – 19 December 2008 for travel between 6 January – 31 March 2009.

For further information, MEDIA please contact AirAsia Media Relations Team :

TAA

Dutduan Jarukakul
Office No : +662 3159810
HP: +668 18552524
E-mail: dutduanj@airasia.com

Wipoosana Tedwisan
Office No : +662 3159817
HP: +668 17216141
E-mail: wipoosanat@airasia.com

MAA
Sherliza Zaharudin
Office No : +603 8660 4294
HP : +6019 282 5887
E-mail : sherlizazaharudin@airasia.com

Mazlan Rasheed
Office No : +603 8660 4263
HP : +6012 273 9097
Email : mazlanrasheed@airasia.com

Linda Foo
Office No : +603 8660 4272
HP: +6012 351 3372
Email : fooyanyan@airasia.com

About AirAsia
AirAsia, the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia, services the most extensive network in South East Asia with over 105 routes. Within the grasp of six years of operation, AirAsia has carried over 55 million passengers and grown its fleet from just two aircraft to 72. The airline today is proud to be a truly ASEAN airline with established operations based in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, servicing a network stretching across 11 ASEAN countries.

AirAsia was recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company Magazine and the winner of the prestigious Airline Strategy Award 2008 in the Finance Category.

TAT NEWS