Riyadh Air Touches Down in Bangkok as Inaugural Service Strengthens Saudi–Thai Tourism and Trade Links | aviationbizz.com
Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s world-class full-service national carrier, has officially launched its inaugural non-stop flight connecting Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH) to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK).
The milestone marks the airline’s latest gateway into Southeast Asia, bringing guests an elevated, digitally led travel experience while strengthening air links between the Kingdom and Thailand.
The historic inaugural departure, flight RX0853, departed Riyadh last night at 11:15 PM and arrived in Bangkok at 10:35 AM this morning, local time. The milestone was marked by official ceremonies at both King Khalid International Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport, attended by top-level government delegates from Saudi Arabia and Thailand, alongside Riyadh Air leadership and senior aviation and tourism representatives.
Tony Douglas, Chief Executive Officer of Riyadh Air, said: “Bangkok is an extraordinary global hub for leisure and trade, by establishing this direct link between these vibrant capitals we are not only fulfilling our promise to connect Riyadh to the world, but also supporting Saudi Vision 2030 by driving two-way tourism, business exchange, and cultural connections between Saudi Arabia and Thailand. The route’s importance is underlined by the fact that we will be moving to a daily service on 9th November, further highlighting the strength of the connectivity that Riyadh Air is bringing to both cities.”
Mrs. Chiravadee Khunsub, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa, said, “The Riyadh–Bangkok service adds direct capacity at an important time for TAT’s development of Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East. It gives travelers more convenient access to Bangkok and destinations across Thailand while helping TAT and our partners reach high-value family, luxury, wellness and medical segments more effectively. Stronger direct connectivity is central to converting market potential into sustained visitor growth and wider tourism benefits.”
Marking as the 12th inaugural destination since its launch flight in June 2026, Riyadh Air’s three-times-weekly service to Bangkok, due to increase frequency in the comings weeks, will serve as a leisure and economic bridge between Saudi Arabia and Thailand. At the government level, the first Saudi–Thai Coordination Council in January 2025 highlighted a sixfold increase in mutual tourist visits over the preceding three years, alongside a 25% increase in bilateral trade and investments totalling more than US$3.5 billion.
That momentum is being reinforced by Thailand’s growing focus on the Middle East as a high-value tourism market. According to data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), arrivals from the Middle East and Africa exceeded one million for the first time in 2025, with Thailand welcoming 210,000 visitors from the Middle East in the first half of 2026.
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