Travel Logistics

Vietnamese airlines drive down regional airfares, making Thailand trips more affordable for summer

Monday, 10 August 2026 11:40AM UTC

Fares on routes from Vietnam to Thailand and neighbouring destinations have plummeted this summer due to increased capacity and heightened competition, promising better-value travel options for holidaymakers.

Flights from Vietnam to Thailand are becoming noticeably cheaper for holidaymakers, with fares on busy routes such as Ho Chi Minh City-Bangkok now starting at about VND1.9 million, roughly half last year’s level, according to reporting by VnExpress. For travellers heading to Thailand, the immediate takeaway is simple: summer journeys that were once expensive are now far more affordable, especially if you fly with a Vietnamese carrier rather than one of the foreign airlines still charging much higher prices.

The price drop reflects a sharp increase in seat capacity, which has pushed competition higher across the region. VnExpress reported that a one-way ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore fell from VND3.2 million to just over VND1.6 million, while fares on the Ho Chi Minh City-Jakarta route have also eased. The same pattern is feeding into fares from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Europe and north-east Asia, suggesting the wider network is benefiting from the extra supply.

Industry data cited by VnExpress from British aviation analytics group OAG shows Vietnam is set to have 7.3 million seats available in August, up 10% from a year earlier and second only to Indonesia in south-east Asia. Vietnam Airlines is expected to provide 2.8 million of those seats, while Vietjet Air accounts for 2.2 million. Vietjet has also increased its Ho Chi Minh City-Kuala Lumpur service to seven flights a week for the peak season and plans new routes to Colombo, Almaty and Prague, which should keep pressure on fares across the region.

For travellers, that means it may now be worth checking Vietnamese airlines first when comparing Thailand trips, particularly if flexibility matters and you are booking during peak holiday periods. Hong Thanh, who owns a ticket agency in Ho Chi Minh City, told VnExpress that softer demand for overseas travel has also helped restrain prices, while lower fuel costs are adding further relief after the government cut several fuel-related taxes and fees from July 1 until September 30. In practical terms, anyone planning a Thailand break could find better-value fares than last summer, although prices still vary sharply between airlines and dates.

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Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/economy/vietnam-airfares-to-singapore-thailand-plummet-5107456.html - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/economy/vietnam-airfares-to-singapore-thailand-plummet-5107456.html - Vietnamese airlines have increased the number of foreign flights, leading to a significant reduction in airfares to Singapore and Thailand during the summer travel season. For instance, a one-way ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore has dropped from VND3.2 million to just over VND1.6 million. This surge in capacity has intensified competition, resulting in lower fares. Additionally, the Vietnamese government has reduced import tariffs and taxes on aviation fuel, further decreasing airline costs.
https://www.vietnam.vn/en/hang-khong-viet-nam-tang-cuong-bay-noi-dia-va-quoc-te-cho-mua-he-2023 - Vietnamese airlines are enhancing both domestic and international flight frequencies for the summer of 2023. The Vietnam Airlines Group plans to operate nearly 30 round-trip flights daily between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and over 35 round-trip flights between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang. For international routes, the airline aims to restore flight frequencies to Europe, Australia, China, Hong Kong, and Cambodia, and increase flights during peak periods to Japan and South Korea.
https://vietnamtourism.gov.vn/en/printer/19090?type=1 - Vietnam Airlines is expanding its international flight network to meet growing travel demand. Starting September 23, 2023, the airline will increase flights between Hanoi and Beijing from three to four times a week. Additionally, from October 29, 2023, the frequency of flights to Australia and Europe will rise, including an increase from two to three weekly flights between Hanoi and Melbourne. A new direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Perth is also set to launch on December 7, 2023, with three round trips per week.
https://www.vietnamairlines.com/en-gb/vietnam-airlines-increases-flights-to-europe - Vietnam Airlines is boosting its European flight offerings starting October 29, 2023. The airline will operate seven flights per week between Vietnam and the UK, with four departures from Hanoi and three from Ho Chi Minh City. Flights to France will increase to 11 per week, and to Germany to 11 per week as well, with daily departures from Hanoi and multiple weekly flights from Ho Chi Minh City.
https://vietnamnet.vn/en/vietnam-airlines-plans-to-restore-its-entire-flight-network-by-the-end-of-2023-2034829.html - Vietnam Airlines is working to fully restore its international flight network by the end of 2023. The airline has resumed flights to 14 countries and territories, including the UK, France, Germany, Australia, the US, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Plans are in place to reopen flights to China, Myanmar, and Russia when conditions permit, with the goal of matching pre-pandemic flight frequencies by the end of the year.
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/vietnam-airlines-to-restore-nearly-90-of-international-flight-frequency-4649640.html - Vietnam Airlines is increasing flight frequencies on routes to Europe, Australia, and China, aiming to restore nearly 90% of its pre-pandemic international flight network. Starting September 23, 2023, flights between Hanoi and Beijing will increase from three to four times a week. From October 29, 2023, the airline will boost flights to Australia and Europe, including adding a new direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Perth on December 7, 2023, with three round trips per week.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 10

Notes: The article is dated August 10, 2026, and reports on recent fare reductions, indicating freshness. No evidence of recycled content was found.

Quotes check

Score: 8

Notes: The article includes direct quotes from Hoang Loan, a traveller from Ho Chi Minh City. While the quotes are plausible, they cannot be independently verified, as no online matches were found for this individual. This limits the ability to confirm the authenticity of the quotes.

Source reliability

Score: 9

Notes: The article originates from VnExpress, a major Vietnamese news organisation. However, the specific author, Dat Nguyen, is not widely recognised, which slightly diminishes the source's reliability. The content appears to be original reporting rather than summarised from other sources.

Plausibility check

Score: 9

Notes: The claims about significant fare reductions are plausible, given the competitive dynamics in the airline industry. However, without independent verification of the specific figures and quotes, there is a degree of uncertainty.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): REVIEW

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary: While the article presents plausible claims about significant fare reductions in Vietnamese airfares to Singapore and Thailand, the inability to independently verify the quotes and specific figures introduces a degree of uncertainty. The source is reputable, but the lack of widely recognised authorship and unverified quotes necessitate further editorial review before publication.

Vietnam Airlines
Vietjet Air
Airfare reductions