Thai Airways International vs Scoot

Overview

Thai Airways International is the flag carrier of Thailand. According to Wikipedia, it was founded in 1960 as a joint venture with Scandinavian Airlines and began operating in its current form in 1988 after merging with Thai Airways Company. The Ministry of Finance holds 42.94% of the shares, and the airline is listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Its headquarters are in Chatuchak, Bangkok. Thai is a founding member of Star Alliance. Its regional subsidiary Thai Smile was merged back into the mainline carrier from 2023.

Network and hubs

The main hub is Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. As of January 2026 the airline served 51 international and 9 domestic destinations in 29 countries, with a network focused on Europe, Asia and Oceania. A return to North America is under discussion, according to Aviation A2Z (July 2026).

Fleet

Wikipedia lists a fleet of 80 aircraft as of January 2026, with a large order book (see the fleet page). In July 2026 Aviation A2Z reported a Boeing 787 fleet of 45 aircraft, including those on order. TTG Asia (25 September 2026) reports that long-haul flying will rely on the Airbus A350-900, Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787 family as older wide-bodies retire. It also reports that the Airbus A321neo fleet will grow from nine to 15 by the end of 2026, with a target of 32. The fleet is to be streamlined to four types, with a cabin overhaul planned for 2027.

On board

• Cabins: Royal Silk (business), Premium Economy and Economy, depending on aircraft. Royal First is listed in some baggage tables.
• Meals: Thai and international dishes, which vary by route and month. Pre-selection is available up to 72 hours before departure.
• Seat pitch, entertainment and Wi-Fi: not confirmed in the sources reviewed, and these vary by aircraft. Check the airline before booking.

Good to know

• Cabin baggage: Thai's official page allows one hand-carry bag of up to 7 kg.
• Checked baggage: third-party sources such as HappyFares report a piece-based allowance for tickets issued from 25 November 2025 for travel from 2 March 2026. Economy Saver and Standard include 1 x 23 kg, and Royal Silk includes 2 x 32 kg. Older tickets keep the weight-based allowance. Check the official site for your fare.
• Punctuality: Cirium reported 79.29% on-time arrivals for June 2025.
• Lounges: Royal Orchid and Royal Silk lounges. The loyalty programme is Royal Orchid Plus.

Overview

Scoot is a low-cost airline and a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. According to Wikipedia, it was founded in November 2011 and began flying on 4 June 2012. Its head office is at Changi Airport. It is not a member of an airline alliance and was formerly part of the Value Alliance.

The original Scoot (IATA TZ, ICAO SCO) merged with Tigerair Singapore in 2017. The merged airline kept the Scoot brand and the SCOOTER callsign but operates under Tigerair's certificate and codes, TR and TGW. Some older listings still show TZ/SCO.

Network and hubs

Changi Airport in Singapore is the main hub, and Taipei Taoyuan is a focus city. Wikipedia lists 83 destinations, mostly across Asia-Pacific, including Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia. Boeing 787 routes include flights from Singapore to Perth, with other medium and long-haul services. See the Scoot website for the current route map.

Fleet

As of May 2026, Travel Weekly reported 63 aircraft: 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 30 Airbus A320-family jets and nine Embraer E190-E2s. The six remaining A320ceos are due to leave the fleet by 2028. In May 2026 Scoot ordered 11 more A320neo-family aircraft, which takes its orderbook to 20.

On board

• Economy: standard seats, plus Super seats and extra-legroom seats for a fee. Child-free zones are available on some flights. See the Scoot economy page.
• ScootPlus: on Boeing 787s only, in a 2-3-2 layout with about 38 in of pitch, according to Australian Frequent Flyer and Point Hacks. Scoot has no business class.
• Meals and entertainment: food in Economy is generally bought on board or pre-ordered. Entertainment is streamed through the ScooTV app on your own device, so download it before the flight.

Good to know

• Scoot allows up to 10 kg of cabin baggage in Economy. Checked baggage depends on the fare. See the baggage page.
• Changes and name changes are allowed for a fee plus any fare difference. See the fare rules and the Scoot Fees Chart.
• Scoot is part of the KrisFlyer frequent-flyer programme.
• No Scoot-operated lounges were found in the sources checked. No published on-time figure was found.