TAT Welcomes Centrum Air’s Inaugural Tashkent–Phuket Flight

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) celebrated the launch of a new route operated by Uzbek airline Centrum Air from Tashkent to Phuket, with the inaugural flight C6529 taking place on 31 October 2025.

The aircraft, with a capacity of 186 passengers, arrived at Phuket International Airport at 14:10 local time with an impressive 95% load factor.

The welcoming ceremony was attended by Santi Sawangcharoen, TAT’s Regional Director for the Americas, Middle East, and Africa; Kanchana Singh-udom, Director of TAT’s Moscow Office; and Siriwan Siharacha, Director of TAT’s Phuket Office, as well as representatives from Phuket International Airport, who warmly greeted arriving passengers.

Among the passengers were prominent Uzbek bloggers and influencers, who will take part in a familiarization trip from 31 October to 7 November, exploring Phuket and nearby destinations. The week-long tour aims to showcase Thailand’s full tourism potential — its nature, culture, and lifestyle — and to promote travel growth from Uzbekistan and the wider Central Asian region.

Santi Sawangcharoen described the event as a success of TAT’s “Airline Focus” strategy, aimed at increasing flight frequencies and expanding seat capacity on routes to Thailand. Centrum Air, a private Uzbek airline operating both charter and scheduled flights, focuses on connecting Central Asia with international destinations. Thailand is positioned as a key regional hub to meet the rising travel demand from this market.

Although the Uzbek tourism market remains relatively small, it shows strong growth potential. The launch of the Tashkent–Bangkok route in July 2025 and the new Tashkent–Phuket service play a pivotal role in broadening Thailand’s tourism base in Central Asia. The Tashkent–Phuket route operates as an extension of the Bangkok flight, with two weekly services on Wednesdays and Fridays. The inaugural flight C6529 departed Tashkent carrying 186 passengers and arrived in Phuket with a 95% occupancy rate.

From 1 January to 28 October 2025, Thailand welcomed 41,173 visitors from Uzbekistan, marking a 37% increase compared to 2024. TAT expects the total to reach 50,000 tourists by the end of the year. Over 80% of Uzbek travelers visit Thailand for the first time, favoring beach and nature-based destinations, as well as wellness and leisure experiences. Most travel as families or couples through tour operators during peak holiday seasons such as New Year and Navruz, primarily visiting Phuket, Bangkok, Chonburi, and Krabi.

To commemorate the launch, TAT organized a special press and influencer trip for five Uzbek content creators on the inaugural flight, offering firsthand experience of Phuket’s tourism offerings. During the seven-day program, the influencers will visit local beaches and communities in Rawai, participate in elephant care activities, Thai cooking classes, fruit carving workshops, and local cocktail-making sessions, and take a scenic cruise to the Similan Islands in Phang Nga Province.

By the end of the trip, the influencers are expected to gain a comprehensive impression of Thailand’s tourism experience — combining nature, culture, and local lifestyle — and to help promote the tourism potential of Phuket and other Andaman coastal provinces in the Central Asian market.