Vietnam Airlines launches direct Ho Chi Minh City-Phuket service

Vietnam Airlines’ inaugural direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City arrived at Phuket International Airport at 5:50pm on July 2, carrying 152 passengers on an Airbus A321.

The launch was marked by a welcoming ceremony attended by Phuket Vice Governor Suwit Phansengiam, representing Governor Chotinrin Kerdsum, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung, Tourism Authority of Thailand Deputy Governor for Asia and South Pacific Markets Patranong Na Chiangmai, Vietnam Airlines General Manager Ngo Tri Hung, and representatives from government and the tourism industry.

The new route follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed on May 28 between the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Vietnam Airlines to jointly promote tourism and improve air connectivity between Thailand and Vietnam.

Vietnam Airlines will operate the Ho Chi Minh City-Phuket route four times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Patranong said the route is intended to expand the market for what she described as quality tourists from Vietnam and make travel to Phuket more convenient, particularly during the June-August peak travel season for Vietnamese visitors to Thailand.

TAT said Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing outbound tourism markets, supported by a growing middle class and rising demand for international travel. According to the agency, Vietnamese visitors to Phuket include families, couples and higher-spending travellers, making the market increasingly important for the island’s tourism industry.

To support the new service, TAT’s Ho Chi Minh City office will host an agent and media familiarisation trip to Phuket from July 7 to July 11. The programme will bring 20 Vietnamese tour operators and media representatives to the island to experience local tourism products and services.

The trip will also include business matching sessions between Thai and Vietnamese tourism operators aimed at expanding commercial opportunities and strengthening confidence in Phuket as an international destination.

Officials said the route also supports broader efforts to improve regional air connectivity within ASEAN and comes during celebrations of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Vietnam.

TAT is continuing its "Thailand – Càng Hiểu Càng Yêu" campaign in Vietnam and is working with tourism partners on promotional campaigns and tour packages as it pursues a target of 689,000 Vietnamese visitors to Thailand in 2026.

The new direct service is expected to improve access to Phuket from a fast-growing outbound travel market and support the island’s tourism sector.