Thai Airways from India in 2026 — Royal Orchid Plus earning, Bangkok lounges and Star Alliance partner stretches
By Ananya Singh (Rohan Bhattacharya is a long-time flyer and aviation analyst covering Star Alliance, oneworld and SkyTeam carriers from India. He focuses on the practical end of loyalty — partner-earning rates, codeshare traps and lounge access — and tracks how the post-Vistara, post-AIX-Connect merged Indian carriers stack up against foreign competition.) · Published · 10 min read
Thai Airways is the Star Alliance flag-carrier for Bangkok, and the BKK transit experience has matured into one of Southeast Asia's better hubs. For Indian flyers heading to Australia, Japan or for premium-cabin redemptions, ROP is worth understanding.
Quick answer
Thai Airways serves a moderate India network in 2026 — daily wide-body service from Mumbai (BOM), Delhi (DEL), Bengaluru (BLR) and Chennai (MAA) to Bangkok BKK Suvarnabhumi, with onward connections to Australia, Japan, Korea and intra-Asia. Royal Orchid Plus (ROP) is the loyalty currency and a Star Alliance partner — useful for Indian flyers building Star Alliance status alongside KrisFlyer or Miles & More. BKK lounge access is solid for ROP Gold (Star Alliance Gold) and business class passengers.
The Thai India network and fleet
Thai operates a focused India network — BOM, DEL, BLR, MAA with daily frequencies on most. The fleet on Indian routes is typically A350-900, 787-9 and on select rotations the older 777-300ER. The new A350-900 deployment has been incremental but steady, replacing older 777-200 capacity through 2024-2026.
Business class cabin is reverse-herringbone 1-2-1 on the A350 and 787-9 (fully flat bed, direct aisle access). The 777-300ER cabin where still flying is the older 2-2-2 layout — comfortable but not competitive with the new product. As with Air India, verify the aircraft type on the booking flow.
Royal Orchid Plus — earning and the practical tier math
ROP is Thai Airways' loyalty programme. Earning on Thai metal is fare-class based. Economy Saver earns 25 to 50 percent of distance flown. Economy fares earn 50 to 125 percent depending on bucket. Premium Economy earns 110 to 150 percent. Business earns 150 to 200 percent. First (on routes where it still operates) earns 250 to 300 percent.
Star Alliance partner earning into ROP works at the published Star Alliance rate. Air India flights, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Turkish, United — all credit. For Indian flyers consolidating Star Alliance status, ROP is one option alongside KrisFlyer, Miles & More and Air India Flying Returns. The choice typically comes down to which programme charges less in cash on the award tickets you want and which has better partner award availability for your travel patterns.
ROP tiers are Silver, Gold and Platinum. Gold is Star Alliance Gold equivalent and unlocks alliance-wide lounge access.
BKK Suvarnabhumi lounges and the transit experience
BKK is one of Southeast Asia's larger hubs. The Thai Royal Orchid Lounges at BKK are the home base for Thai passengers and ROP Gold members. The product is decent — buffet dining, showers, work zones — but not in the top-tier of Asian airline lounges (HKG Cathay or SIN SQ are meaningfully better). The Thai Royal First Class Lounge is a step up and includes spa services and a la carte dining.
For Star Alliance Gold members not flying Thai, BKK has Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer SilverKris Lounge access in the Star Alliance partner shared-lounge zone. The Plaza Premium Lounge at BKK is accessible via DreamFolks and Priority Pass for economy passengers.
BKK as a connecting hub is workable but not optimal — the terminal is large, the walks can be long, and minimum connecting time is 90 minutes. For India-Australia or India-Japan connections, the BKK option is generally less time-efficient than HKG or SIN.
Onward connections from BKK — strengths and gaps
Thai's strongest onward markets from BKK are intra-Asia (Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi) and select Australia (SYD, MEL). The Star Alliance partner network adds connectivity to Europe (via Frankfurt with Lufthansa) and North America (via Tokyo with ANA or via Frankfurt).
The honest read for Indian flyers: BKK is a useful hub when your destination is intra-Asia or Australia, but for Europe or North America, HKG (with Cathay) or SIN (with SQ) or the Gulf hubs are typically more efficient routings. Thai's India service is more about point-to-point Thailand travel and Star Alliance partner connections than long-haul transit.
Thailand as a destination — the practical layover note
For Indian flyers visiting Thailand, the immigration policy in 2026 generally provides visa-on-arrival or visa-exempt entry for Indians (verify the current policy with the Thai embassy before travel — the policy has shifted multiple times). The BKK arrivals process is efficient, and onward connections to Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai and Pattaya are well-served by Thai domestic and AirAsia (now part of Capital A) domestic.
For travellers using BKK as a stopover, Thailand has a generous stopover programme — multiple-day stays on a Thai ticket are typically permitted at standard fare construction.
When to book Thai from India
Book Thai when: (a) you are visiting Thailand or onward intra-Asia where Thai's network and Bangkok hub are convenient, (b) you are building Star Alliance status and want to spread credit across multiple Star carriers, or (c) the fare is meaningfully cheaper than alternatives on an India-Bangkok point-to-point.
Skip Thai when: (a) you are heading to Europe or North America where alternative Star Alliance carriers (Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa) are more efficient routings, (b) you want a top-tier business cabin product (Thai is competent but not in the top tier of Asian premium cabins), or (c) you are connecting in BKK on a tight schedule — BKK transit can be longer than HKG or SIN.
See the Thai Airways hub for policy detail and live fares on FlightGPT.
Frequently asked questions
Is Royal Orchid Plus worth using?
Yes if you fly Thai or use Star Alliance partners regularly. Saver award availability is reasonable. ROP is one of several Star Alliance currency choices — KrisFlyer is generally more useful for the same Star Alliance flying.
Which Thai Airways aircraft has the new business class?
A350-900 and 787-9 — both 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone fully flat. The 777-300ER on rotational backup has the older 2-2-2 cabin.
Do Indians need a visa to visit Thailand?
The current policy at the time of writing is visa-on-arrival or visa-exempt for short-stay tourism for Indian passport holders, but the policy has changed multiple times. Verify with the Thai embassy before travel.
Is BKK a good connecting hub?
Workable but not optimal. Walking distances are long and minimum connecting time is 90 minutes. For long-haul connections HKG or SIN are typically more efficient.
Can I credit Thai flights to KrisFlyer or Miles & More?
Yes. Both are Star Alliance partners and credit Thai flights at the published partner rate.