Executives of the budget carrier yesterday said it is keen to embark on daily flights from its Bangkok base to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City next year.
Two other routes to the neighbouring country _ Mae Sot-Yangon and Bangkok-Yangon _ will be introduced next Tuesday and Nov 1, respectively.
"Vietnam is our next descent, likely around mid-2014," chief financial officer Vitai Ratanakorn told the Bangkok Post.
Nok Air has focused on expanding its domestic service since 2008, when it suspended its loss-making international flights to Vietnam and India. It flew to Hanoi but not to Ho Chi Minh City.
Fierce competition awaits Nok Air's latest foray into Vietnam, with big names such as Thai Airways International, Thai AirAsia, VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines offering regular flights from Bangkok to both major Vietnamese cities.
But Nok Air executives believe their airline can slip into a new market segment that is not yet present in that country, one that is between low-cost carrier (LCC) and full-service airline.
Unlike an LCC, which offers bare-bones service but low fares, and legacy airlines, which provide full service, Nok Air is positioned between the two extremes, with free snacks and beverages and a generous baggage allowance
Cambodia and Laos will be Nok Air's next international focus.
It is also looking at upgrading its charter service between Bangkok and Nanjing, China, into regularly scheduled service
