New services by Thai Airways subsidiary Thai Smile are aimed at providing connections to eight destinations across Asia for passengers from the UK via Bangkok.
Access to Kota Kinabalu and Penang, in Malaysia; Siem Reap and Phnom Penh in Cambodia as well as Kunming and Xiamen, in China are now available via Thai Airways flights from Heathrow.
An onward link from Bangkok to Luang Prabang in Laos is due to be added from October 1.
The new connecting services are being offered by Thai Smile to match up “as conveniently as possible” to Thai Airways’ double daily flights from London to Bangkok.
Passengers heading to Kota Kinabalu can connect two hours after arriving on the airline’s Airbus A380 service from London, while those heading to Siem Reap will only have to wait one hour and forty minutes.
Return flights from London to Kota Kinabalu start at £613.
Thai Airways new general manager, Nonthakorn Trakulpa, said: “As a long haul carrier we know that one of the most frustrating things from a passenger’s perspective is having to wait around for hours between connecting flights.
“That’s why we have worked hard with our partners at Thai Smile to make these transitions as quick and as smooth as possible so that customers arrive feeling as fresh and relaxed as they can.”