Qatar Airways to start service to Chiang Mai

Qatar Airways will start flying to Chiang Mai in December, expanding to meet increased demand for Thailand destinations from holiday-makers.The new route comes in addition to three existing services to the Thailand capital Bangkok, and to the top holiday destinations of Phuket and Krabi.The new four times weekly seasonal service will operate between Doha and Chiang Mai (CNX), using a wide-body aircraft from December to May 2018.Laid-back Chiang Mai offers a retreat from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, and has been called the ‘Rose of the North’ in recognition of its calm vibe and lush setting.Nestled amid surrounding rainforest, Chiang Mai offers visitors an amazing authentic Thai experience with scores of stunning temples, fabulous restaurants and incredible natural scenery.“Thailand continues to grow in popularity with holiday-makers and it’s not hard to see why. Our existing services to Phuket, Krabi and Bangkok are already incredibly popular, especially with customers from European countries such as the UK, France and Germany,” Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker said.“It also demonstrates our commitment to expand our reach with ambitious new routes around the world, taking our passengers to where they want to fly,” he noted Qatar Airways first started flying to Thailand in 1996 with a service to Bangkok. Flights then followed to Phuket and Krabi.The airline currently offers five daily flights from Doha to Bangkok, as well as a double-daily service from Doha to Phuket and three flights a week from Doha to Krabi.Later this year, Krabi will become a daily service, which means the total number of flights each week to Thailand will rise to 60.The start of this new seasonal service is the latest in a series of ambitious recent route launches announced by Qatar Airways, including Prague, Czech Republic; Kyiv, Ukraine and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.The 2017 Airline of the Year, as awarded by Skytrax, has a host of exciting new destinations planned for the remainder of this year and 2018, including Canberra, Australia; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; San Francisco, US; and Santiago, Chile, among others.Qatar Airways has received a number of major accolades this year, including Airline of the Year by the prestigious 2017 Skytrax World Airline Awards, which was held at the Paris Air Show.Flight schedule: Doha – Chiang Mai (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday).Doha (DOH) to Chiang Mai (CNX) QR822 departs 8.05pm arrives 6am (+1) (Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun)Chiang Mai (CNX) to Doha (DOH) QR823 departs 7.10am arrives 10.55pm (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)