Flying Kolkata to Bangkok? Travel on just Rs 2,500

Soon, to have a glimpse of Grand Palace, Wat Traimitr (temple of the golden Buddha) or any other hot tourist destination in Thailand, Kolkatans would not have to shell out a lot.

Thai AirAsia -- a joint venture between Asia Aviation Co and Air Asia -- is planning to launch two daily services from the city to Bangkok, with a fare as low as Rs 2,500.

As a first step to this, Thai AirAsia on Wednesday announced the launch of a direct flight linking Bangkok to Kolkata from December 1.

"We will start with one daily flight from Kolkata, at an introductory price of Rs 2,500 (one-way). If demand increases, we may add one more flight to this in another six months," said Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijleveld.

Moreover, the company is also planning to launch a Kolkata to Phuket or Mumbai to Phuket service next fiscal.

"Every year, about 1,00,000 people from Kolkata and a total of 6,00,000 people from across the country travel to Thailand. With this service, we expect a dramatic rise in the number of tourists to-and-fro," said Sukoom Somprasonk, Deputy Consul-General of Thai consulate in Kolkata.

From December 1, the airline will also start four flights a week between Delhi and Bangkok at an all-inclusive one-way fare of Rs 4,500.

"By

early next year, we have plans to launch Bangkok flights from three other cities in India. For this, Mumbai, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram and Bangalore are currently under our radar," Bijleveld said.

The move is expected to trigger price war in the region's aviation sector. "We want the rates to be affordable for all the 15 million people in this city.

"Our rates are 15-20 per cent cheaper than the starting rates of other major airline companies. If you book your tickets early, sometimes, the rates may come down to even Rs 1,500. So, our 180-seater flights will become a boost to the tourism industry in both countries," he said.

The airlines wants to add 40 more aircraft to its current number of 19 Airbus A320 flights. The booking period for the introductory offer is till October 25.