Air Astana will start flying between Astana and Bangkok on 11 December 2026, twice a week with an Airbus A321LR, according to Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport, and the ministry says the new route lifts the number of flights between Kazakhstan and Thailand to 20 a week across four routes. It adds a capital-city departure to the Almaty and Shymkent services already flying. This briefing, from a Thailand DMC for travel agents, sets out the routes, the entry rule and how to package Thailand for Kazakh clients this winter.
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The routes
- Almaty–Phuket: seven flights a week with Air Astana.
- Almaty–Bangkok: nine flights a week, six with Air Astana and three with Thai AirAsia X.
- Shymkent–Bangkok: two flights a week with SCAT.
- Astana–Bangkok, new: two flights a week with Air Astana from 11 December 2026.
Those are the ministry's figures, as reported by The Astana Times on 1 October. One detail does not match: Thai AirAsia's own high-season plan, reported in September, lists Almaty at four flights a week rather than three. Treat the airline's schedule for your dates as the one to quote from, and reconfirm before you ticket a group.
What the new route changes
None of the current routes leaves from Astana, so clients in the capital and the north of the country have had to connect through Almaty or a third country. The December start puts it at the beginning of Thailand's cool season. Twice a week also shapes the product: most packages from Astana will run as stays of 7, 10 or 14 nights tied to the two flight days, so plan arrivals and departures in pairs.
Air Astana is also adding Almaty–Langkawi in Malaysia from 25 December, three times a week. For a beach client in Almaty, that is a new alternative to Phuket in the same season, so speed and clarity of the Thailand quote matter.
The entry rule
Kazakh citizens can stay in Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days per visit under the bilateral visa-exemption agreement between the two countries, with a cap of 90 days in any 180-day period. That covers a two-week winter holiday easily; a longer stay needs a visa. Our briefing on the visa exemption rules explains how the bilateral agreements sit alongside the 30-day framework introduced on 15 September 2026.
What Kazakh clients book
Beach weeks are the core product, which is why Phuket has its own daily flight from Almaty: Phuket first, then Krabi and Khao Lak on the Andaman coast. Bangkok works as a city stay of two or three nights before or after the beach, and the new Astana and existing Almaty flights into Bangkok make a Bangkok-plus-beach trip easy to build. Russian is widely spoken in Kazakhstan, so Russian-speaking guides are usually the practical choice. Our Phuket guide and Bangkok guide cover the two main bases, and our briefing on emerging source markets covers Central Asia in more depth.
How to sell it
Build programmes around the flight days, especially for the twice-weekly Astana service, and hold rooms early for the New Year period. Our Thailand DMC transport team meets arrivals at any hour in Phuket and Bangkok, and our guide services can provide Russian-speaking guides. Ask your Thailand DMC to confirm the operating days for your dates before you sell a fixed-length package. A Thailand DMC on the ground can also re-plan the first night if a flight time changes, which matters while a new route settles in. The full range is on our Thailand DMC services page; agents in other markets can browse our source markets page, and the trade desk is on our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
When does Air Astana start flying from Astana to Bangkok?
On 11 December 2026, twice a week with an Airbus A321LR, according to Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport. Reconfirm the operating days with the airline before you ticket.
How many flights connect Kazakhstan and Thailand?
The ministry counts 20 a week across four routes once the Astana service starts: Almaty–Phuket, Almaty–Bangkok, Shymkent–Bangkok and Astana–Bangkok.
Do Kazakh travellers need a visa for Thailand?
Not for stays of up to 30 days per visit, under the bilateral visa-exemption agreement, with a limit of 90 days in any 180-day period. Longer stays need a visa.
What do Kazakh clients book in Thailand?
Mostly beach weeks in Phuket, Krabi and Khao Lak, often with two or three nights in Bangkok, timed to the winter holidays. Russian-speaking guides and reliable airport transfers are the main ground requirements.
