Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) announced that electronic boarding passes issued on smartphones will be used in lieu of paper boarding passes, which will be introduced on domestic flights departing from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Chiang Mai and Phuket, effective 1 August 2012.  Electronic boarding passes, using the two dimensional “Mobile 2D Barcode Boarding Pass,” will reduce check-in counter processes, increase passenger convenience, and to protect the environment.

Mr. Danuj Bunnag, THAI Managing Director of the Ground Service Business Unit, said that THAI will begin using the E-Boarding Pass or electronic boarding passes, which is accessible on smartphones or mobile computers enabled for multimedia messaging service (MMS). Passengers may obtain their Mobile 2D Barcode Boarding Pass when they access https://m.thaiairways.com and enter their reservation code under the tab “Check-in.”  Passenger information will be displayed on the passenger’s smartphone, whereby the passenger must input their mobile phone number and specify the mobile service provider.  Thereafter, the passenger will receive a mobile boarding pass by MMS.  The secure barcode on the electronic boarding pass will be scanned at the baggage drop-off point at the airport, when presented at security checkpoints, scanned at the boarding gate when shown with an identification card, and shown to cabin crew prior to entering the aircraft.

THAI’s Mobile 2D Barcode Boarding Pass project is part of an ongoing effort to make air travel increasingly convenient for passengers.  Passengers may access the electronic travel system through various channels of communication to check flight schedules, obtain flight-related information, make flight reservations, purchase tickets, check-in online, seat selection, and self-ticket issuance.  There are four means of accessing THAI’s electronic travel system:  1.  Mobile / Tablet Browser via https://m.thaiairways.com , 2.  Mobile Application via THAI m Service, 3.  Mobile Game via “Little Captain” and 4.  iPad Application via THAI Touch, which is available initially through the mobile service provider AIS and will soon be available through DTAC and True Move H so that passengers may use it on all service providers for a fee of 6 Baht per MMS.