HCMC - Vietnam Airlines plans to launch a direct air service between HCMC (Vietnam) and Phuket (Thailand), starting April 2, 2026, adding a new connection between two major tourism centers in Southeast Asia.

The route will operate five flights per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays using Airbus A321 aircraft. Flights will depart HCMC at 04:00 p.m. and arrive in Phuket at 05:50 p.m., while return flights will leave Phuket at 06:45 p.m. and land in HCMC at 08:55 p.m.. The new route adds another destination to the Vietnam–Thailand air network, a key short-haul tourism market in the region. According to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the country received more than 600,000 Vietnamese visitors in 2025, down around 33% from nearly one million arrivals in 2024. Some travel companies said travel costs in Thailand have risen as the baht has strengthened, pushing up prices for accommodation, dining and other services. In addition, Vietnamese travelers now have more regional destination options as international routes resume and visa policies become more favorable. In the opposite direction, Thailand remains one of Vietnam’s major inbound tourism markets. According to the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance, Vietnam welcomed 83,437 Thai visitors in the first two months of 2026, up 107% compared with the same period last year. Air travel demand within Southeast Asia has been recovering following the pandemic. Direct routes linking tourism hubs such as HCMC, Bangkok and Phuket are expected to shorten travel time and support short-term tourism demand. Currently, multiple direct routes connect Vietnam and Thailand. Flights are operated from HCMC, Hanoi, Danang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang and Haiphong to destinations including Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai. Bangkok has the largest number of routes from Vietnam, with services operated by Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Thai Vietjet, Thai AirAsia and Thai Airways. These routes maintain air connectivity between the two tourism markets.