Thai Airways Excoriates Press, Downplays “Crisis”

Calling comments suggesting imminent demise devoid of truth and taken out of context, Thai Airways has hit back at reports suggesting that it is truly in crisis mode.

Twice this week I have reported on Thai Airways, first citing its self-confessed lack of direction and then recounting a startling admission from its president.

But Thai Airways isn’t happy and has excoriated news outlets for “misrepresenting” comments made by President Sumeth Damrongchaitham.

First, let’s recall what Thai’s President said earlier this week:

Today, I want staff to be united to overcome the obstacles. Otherwise, the national airline must close down. There is still time for a solution, but there is not much time.

The competition is very fierce this year… Thai is really in a crisis. Next year it must do its best. If staff are still unaware and do nothing, they will not have enough time to fight back.

Today, very little time remains. Today there is no comfort zone. Everyone will die if the vessel sinks.

I don’t know about you, but that leaves very little room for interpretation. The warning is clear and imminent. Whether it is a truthful statement or not (which I questioned, because I think there is no will in Thailand to shut down or even fundamentally change Thai), is beside the point.

But Damrongchaitham apparently meant to convey something else. Thai Airways called his earlier statements “entirely misconstrued” saying they were intended to “bring about employee awareness of the highly competitive state of the airline industry and Thai’s competitive stance in the market”.

New Statement, Same (Lack of) Strategy

Here is Thai’s detailed statement on iDamrongchaitham’s earlier statements:

With competition in the airline industry continually on the rise, Thai’s president clearly emphasized the importance and urgent necessity of overcoming obstacles in conducting airline business.

Thai staff were urged to take heed of how heavy airline competition remains in all areas of business, low-cost carrier competition, air fare promotions, and cut-throat route competition in certain markets.

Thai’s President spoke to staff in order to motivate them to take immediate action to cut costs and boost profits, to act as a combined force to maintain competitive edge in the airline industry. In an era when customers have so many offers on hand with fierce airline competition, employees were asked to join forces and work to beat the competition for the inevitable achievement of improved operational results.

With utmost strength and determination, Thai confirms its capability to perform exceptionally amidst tough airline competition.

Thai thanks all customers for maintaining confidence and for remaining loyal to Thai, the national flag carrier of Thailand. Thai remains very far from shutting down, which remains so far from the truth of Thai’s competitive strengths in the airline industry.

I don’t know about you, but what I hear once again is a lack of strategy.

Thai wants to employees to “join forces and work to beat the competition for the inevitable achievement of improved operational results.”

Great, but how?

Thai’s problem is not a lack of good ideas, but no real vision of how to achieve them.

CONCLUSION

There was little doubt, at least on my part, that Thai was truly in danger of shutting down. Thai Airways is the bottomless money pit that will likely always be fed. But once again Thai has demonstrated it has no strategy going forward.

> Read More: Thai Airways Cancels Six Routes, Concedes Lack Of Vision
> Read More: It’s Official: Thai Airways In Crisis Mode

image: Thai Airways

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