Thai Airways International Public Co. Ltd.

Thai Airways International is Thailand's state-owned national flag carrier. More than half of its shares are owned by the Ministry of Finance, and the company is under the administration of the Ministry of Transport. The company was established by the government in 1960 as a joint venture between the now-defunct domestic carrier Thai Airways and Scandinavian Airlines System. SAS provided technical and marketing expertise but sold all its holdings to the Thai government in 1977. The company merged with Thai Airways in 1998.

Most of its board members have ties to the government or the air force. Former Chairman Prajin Juntong, for example, was commander of the air force and is now a cabinet member of the country's military government. Vice Chairman Areepong Bhoocha-oom, who succeeded Prajin as acting chairman, has held various high-ranking positions in the Finance Ministry, and is now permanent secretary of the energy ministry.

The company is one of the five founding airlines of the Star Alliance, the world's largest airline partnership. It also runs Thai Smile Airways, a wholly owned low-cost carrier, and holds about 40% stake in Nok Air, the country's second-largest budget airline.