Thailand is deepening its tourism links with Indonesia, one of Southeast Asia’s largest travel markets, by expanding air connectivity to high-potential secondary cities. A new direct route between Surabaya and Bangkok, launched this month, marks a key step in efforts to attract more Indonesian visitors in 2025, reports VNA, a partner of TV BRICS.

The new Surabaya–Bangkok service began on 2 October 2025 with flights from Juanda airport to Bangkok. The route operates four times a week – on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. It complements existing services from Jakarta, Medan, and Bali, which together carried more than 310,000 passengers in the first half of 2025. 

As part of the collaboration, both countries are planning joint marketing campaigns and exploring opportunities to expand routes and increase flight frequency. 

The initiative supports Thailand's goal of attracting more than 900,000 Indonesian tourists in 2025, with a focus on promoting Thailand’s secondary destinations and wellness travel experiences, particularly among younger travellers and families.

In parallel, discussions with major tour operators aim to strengthen cooperation and showcase Thailand’s diverse tourism offerings to new segments of the Indonesian market.

Photo: Nattakorn Maneerat / iStock