Phuket and Ho Chi Minh City Travel Boom Begins as Vietnam Airlines Launches Direct Island Flights and Thailand Targets Viet Nam Tourism Growth

Written By: Manosree Majumder

Manosree Majumder

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July 4, 2026 08:06 GMT+5:30

Phuket and Ho Chi Minh City now stand at the centre of a sharper ASEAN travel story as Vietnam Airlines has opened a direct service between southern Viet Nam and Thailand’s best-known island resort. The first VN621 service landed at Phuket International Airport on 2 July 2026, giving Vietnamese travellers a faster path to beaches, dining, events, family holidays and trade-ready Thai packages. The launch also gives the Thailand–Viet Nam tourism partnership a visible result during the year both countries mark 50 years of diplomatic relations.

First Flight Lands With 152 Passengers

The inaugural service used an Airbus A321 and carried 152 passengers from Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Phuket International Airport. The flight left Ho Chi Minh City at 16.00 and reached Phuket at 17.50 local time. Phuket marked the arrival with a water cannon salute, floral garlands and commemorative gifts for passengers and crew. TAT representatives, Vietnam Airlines officials and Phuket airport teams joined the airport reception, turning the first arrival into a clear tourism signal for the region.

Four Weekly Flights Strengthen Regional Access

The route now operates four times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Vietnam Airlines lists VN621 from Ho Chi Minh City to Phuket at 16.00–17.50 and VN620 from Phuket to Ho Chi Minh City at 18.45–20.45. The airline is also promoting the route through fares and Lotusmiles incentives, with official booking information showing round-trip promotional pricing for economy and business class and bonus miles for eligible members. This makes the service more than a ceremonial launch. It is a sellable corridor for agents, families and short-break travellers.

MOU Moves From Paper To Passenger Demand

The flight is the first route result under the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Vietnam Airlines on 28 May 2026. That agreement was designed to support route development, additional frequencies, joint marketing, tourism fairs, buyer engagement, familiarisation trips, media activity and market intelligence. Priority routes named under the partnership included Ho Chi Minh City–Phuket, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok, Da Nang to Bangkok, and Hanoi to Chiang Mai. The Phuket service now gives that agenda its first measurable travel product.

Why Phuket Matters For Viet Nam Travellers

Phuket gives Vietnamese visitors a simple holiday proposition. It offers beaches, resort stays, island-hopping, food, nightlife, family-friendly activities and luxury options in one destination. For travellers from southern Viet Nam, the direct route cuts the need for extra connections and helps turn Phuket into a shorter, easier overseas escape. For Phuket businesses, the new link opens a focused channel into a nearby market with strong interest in flexible, value-led and lifestyle-driven holidays. It also helps hotels, tour operators and attractions package products around regular weekly capacity.

TAT Pushes Trade Conversion In Phuket

TAT is not treating the new route as a stand-alone aviation announcement. Its Ho Chi Minh City Office will bring 16 Vietnamese travel agents and four media representatives to Phuket from 7 to 11 July 2026. The familiarisation programme will present tourism products and services across the province. It will also include business matching between Vietnamese travel companies and Phuket operators. This trade step matters because airlines create the seat supply, but agents and tour partners turn that supply into bookable holidays.

Campaign Targets Lifestyle, Family And Event Travel

TAT’s Ho Chi Minh City Office is also advancing the Thai Lan – Càng Hiểu Càng Yêu initiative through consumer communications, trade alliances and package promotions. The campaign frames Thailand as a safe, meaningful and value-led destination for Vietnamese travellers. Its content is being shaped around lifestyle trips, family holidays, event-based travel and flexible travel needs. TAT has also set a 2026 target of 689,000 Vietnamese arrivals, showing that Viet Nam is not being treated as a side market but as a serious short-haul growth source.

New Air Link Deepens ASEAN Tourism Momentum

The Ho Chi Minh City–Phuket route arrives at a moment when tourism cooperation between Thailand and Viet Nam is being built through both aviation and diplomacy. TAT recorded 219,986 Vietnamese arrivals from 1 January to 25 May 2026, supported by proximity, air links and demand for value-for-money regional travel. With the new Phuket flights now in the market, the two countries have a stronger channel for people-to-people exchange, trade packaging and resort-led short breaks. For passengers, it means one simpler journey. For tourism businesses, it means a fresh route with commercial purpose.

IMAGE AND INFORMATION SOURCE: TAT