Kazakhstan - Thailand air connectivity expands

The event was attended by Margulan Baimukhan, the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom of Thailand; Nikolay Buryakov, Commercial Director of SCAT Airlines; Chiravadee Khunsub, Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand; Ohm Apichari, Adviser to the Minister of Industry of Thailand; as well as representatives of aviation authorities, airports, tourism associations, companies, and the media, according to the press service of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry. 

Addressing the participants, Ambassador Baimukhan emphasized the special significance of the event, noting that it coincided with the celebration of Independence Day of Kazakhstan, which adds symbolic importance to the launch of the new route.

He stated that the launch of the Shymkent-Bangkok route increases the total number of direct flights between Kazakhstan and Thailand to 23 per week, a record figure reflecting the steady growth of mutual tourism, business contacts, and cultural exchanges.

The Ambassador also highlighted that the new route, operated twice a week, expands the geography of air services and creates additional opportunities for passengers and businesses alike, including the development of logistics, air cargo transportation, and investment cooperation, while strengthening Kazakhstan’s role as a transport hub between East and West and reinforcing Thailand’s position as a key hub in Southeast Asia.

Nikolay Buryakov noted that SCAT Airlines’ long-term development strategy envisages transforming Shymkent into a regional aviation hub through the expansion of regular routes to Europe, Russia, the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Middle East. The airline plans to expand its fleet in 2027-2030, has already commissioned a new passenger terminal in Shymkent, and intends to increase the number of flights to Bangkok from two to four per week by the end of 2026. In 2025, SCAT Airlines also launched flights to Budapest, Krasnoyarsk, Munich, Prague, and Tbilisi, while new routes to Austria, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Russia, and the Czech Republic are planned for 2026.

Chiravadee Khunsub, in turn, congratulated the parties on the launch of the new route and highlighted its importance for the development of mutual tourism, cultural exchange, and people-to-people contacts. She reported that more than 170,000 citizens of Kazakhstan visited Thailand in 2024, with further growth expected in 2025, facilitated in part by the visa-free regime between the two countries.

SCAT Airlines is one of the oldest airlines in Kazakhstan and has been successfully operating for 28 years. Its fleet consists of 36 aircraft. The airline owns passenger terminals in Shymkent and Taraz and operates a certified training center. In 2026, SCAT Airlines plans to launch new routes to Latvia, the Czech Republic, India, Russia, Azerbaijan, Austria, and Kyrgyzstan.

Currently, 23 regular flights per week are operated between Kazakhstan and the Kingdom of Thailand by Air Astana, SCAT Airlines, and Thai AirAsia X.