Thai Airways confirms plan to acquire 80 new aircraft is part of its recovery strategy — not influenced by U.S. tax negotiations or political pressure. PATTAYA, Thailand – Lavaron Sangsnit, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Chairman of the Board of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, confirmed that the airline’s aircraft procurement plan is unrelated to U.S. import taxes. He stated that the purchase agreement has already been finalized for 45 Boeing aircraft, with an additional 35 planes planned for future acquisition — possibly also Boeings. However, no aircraft can be delivered this year due to production delays, with deliveries now expected in early 2028 instead of mid-2027 as originally planned. He clarified that the 80-90 aircraft figure mentioned by the “Team Thailand” delegation during U.S. tax negotiations refers to planes already purchased (45 aircraft) and options for 35 more. The final decision on these options — including type and quantity — rests solely with Thai Airways. He stressed that the purchase decision was made independently of political negotiations. “This decision had already been made, regardless of whether the U.S. tax talks happened. These 45 aircraft were always part of Thai Airways’ post-rehabilitation business plan,” said Lavaron. Chai Eamsiri, Chief Executive Officer of Thai Airways, added that there has been absolutely no political pressure influencing the decision. Since the end of 2023, there has been no external demand or interference. The aircraft purchase was based entirely on business fundamentals. He also noted that any discussions about U.S. tariffs, including those related to former President Trump’s policies, came after the decision. Regarding whether there have been new proposals for Thai Airways to purchase additional aircraft, Chai said no such suggestions have been made. He emphasized that Thai Airways’ ability to return to its current position stems from its independence and professional management — key factors driving its sustainable growth. When asked whether the company would issue dividends to shareholders in 2025, Chai said that, in principle, if the company reports a net profit of at least 25%, it would be able to pay dividends.