Thai Airways luggage allowance: Your guide

Thai Airways is Thailand’s leading airline, and flies to 63 destinations worldwide, including Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Auckland¹.

But how much can you take with you when you fly? Every airline has slightly different criteria for luggage allowances, and the different rules can be quite unpredictable.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide to exactly what you are and aren’t allowed to take with you when you fly with Thai Airways – including info on how much it costs.

While we’re talking costs, there are other ways that you can make sure to get value for money out of your trip. When you’re dealing with international currency, it can be tricky to get a decent exchange rate – more commonly, you’ll end up losing out every single time you make a foreign payment transaction. That’s why you should check out Wise, whose borderless account – including a debit Mastercard for Australian customers – lets you always convert money at the real mid-market rate.

But anyway, here’s the Thai Airways baggage allowance information you’re after.

Checked luggage vs carry on?

As with pretty much all airlines, there are two basic ways you can take luggage with you with Thai Airways: you can check it in, or you can keep it with you during the flight. Thai Airways’ checked baggage allowance and their carry-on baggage allowance are explained below.

Do remember, though: if you have other flights as part of your trip, you’ll need to check their allowances separately. What’s true for Thai Airways might well not be true for others.

Thai Airways checked luggage allowance

A certain amount of checked luggage is included in the price of your ticket. On most flights, the allowance limit is done by total weight, rather than number of items.

However, on flights to or from the US and Canada the maximum number of checked items you can bring is two. If you add up the length, width and height of each of those items, they must be 158cm or less.

Here are the key limits in table form².

Ticket type****Maximum baggage weight for checked-in items

|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic Thai flights | International flights (except US and Canada) | US and Canada flights |
| Economy | 30kg | 30kg | 23kg per item |
| Premium Economy | 30kg | 40kg | n/a |
| Royal Silk (Business) | 40kg | 40kg | 32kg per item |
| Royal First | n/a | 50kg | 32kg per item |

Bear in mind that there are some extra criteria on certain flights, bonus allowances for members of various Thai Airways schemes, and a handful of other rules too – if you’re in any doubt you should check directly with the airline.

Thai Airways carry on luggage allowance

Passengers on Thai Airways are allowed to bring one piece of hand luggage with them on the flight with maximum dimensions 52x45x25cm, and maximum weight 7kg.

Passengers in certain categories can bring two pieces: that includes Business and First Class passengers as well as Star Alliance Gold Status customers.

Additionally, Thai Airways’ carry-on baggage allowance lets you bring a small item like a handbag or laptop, so long as it measures at most 37x25x12.5cm (or 75cm combined length, width and height). It should weigh less than 1.5kg. You can also bring on walking sticks and food for infants².

So, what does it cost?

Your luggage allowance is included in your ticket price, so there’s no specific Thai Airways checked baggage fee if you stay within the limits.

If you’re likely to go over those limits, you can book extra baggage online. Definitely make sure to do this, because if you turn up at the airport and you’re over the baggage limit, you’ll probably have to pay an excess fee (explained below). That’ll undoubtedly be more expensive than booking it online in advance.

For additional baggage – booked online – Thai Airways charges per kilogram. The price per kilo ranges from USD 8 to USD 56. There are slightly different rates for domestic flights involving Bangkok, which range in price from THB 50 to 60 per kilo.

The minimum amount of excess baggage you can book online is 5kg. You have too book it in increments of 5kg³.

Can I take sports equipment as checked baggage?

Travelling with sports equipment and other problematically shaped items can be tricky, and airlines have various ways of dealing with this. Thai Airways does let you take various awkward items with you, including bikes and fishing, golfing or skiing equipment.

Often such items can simply be included as part of your standard baggage allowance, but do make sure it really falls within those criteria. Otherwise, you will probably be looking at paying an excess fee. There might be a different excess fee than normal in the case of sport items².

If you have specific queries, it’s worth checking out Thai Airways’ official guide for special items.

What are the fees for excess or oversized baggage?

If you are going to go over your included baggage allowance, it really is worth booking the extra amount you need in advance. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself having to pay a higher amount at the airport.

Thai Airways’ excess baggage fees at the airport are calculated per kilogram. They range from THB 55 to 125 for domestic flights. For international flights they range from USD 12 to 70².

With good planning, you should be able to avoid having to pay an excess baggage fee. But you should still be prepared for other unexpected fees that might come up during a trip abroad. The last thing you want, if you suddenly find yourself stuck with an international bill, is to have to make the payment at a bad exchange rate.

That’s why Wise can help – not just by transferring money abroad at the mid-market rate, but also by letting you hold funds in multiple international currencies and spend money all around the world using a debit Mastercard. There’s no monthly fee for this, and it could save you a lot on the exchange rate and bank fees.

Good luck planning your trip with Thai Airways – here’s hoping for a smooth journey.

Sources:

All sources accurate as of 17 March 2020