He changed the face of Thai aviation and did it with style

Chatrachai Bunya-Ananta, who died in Bangkok early on Saturday aged 82, was a towering figure in Thai civil aviation. 

As vice president for marketing at Thai Airways International for 14 years from 1972, Chatrachai was key to making the national flag-carrier one of the most admired airlines in the world during the 1980s, with a service standards that rivals could never hope to match.  

By the time of his retirement in 1992, Thai International was among seven Asia-Pacific carriers in the top 10 most profitable airlines in the world. He became the airline’s executive vice president in 1986, and prior to retirement in 1992 was its first non-Air Force president. 

Anyone who has flown Thai International will be familiar with Chatrachai-era touches: “Smooth as Silk”; the unforgettable logo; purple orchids; traditional Thai uniforms on departure, modern attire on arrival; great Danish pastries. The list goes on. 

Earlier this century, another Thai International president wanted to promote OTOP – One Tambon, One Product. The Thai press was quick to point out this was nothing really new. In the 1980s, Chatrachai’s Thai International introduced local coffee and ingredients to its galleys, and Thai fabrics to the cabin interiors. Thai International in its heyday was a worthy rival to Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, and highly ranked globally. 

Having joined the airline in its early years and moved up, Chatrachai was able to unite the airline’s management from within. He was the most visible personality in an exceptionally strong team that included Danish aviation guru Niels Lumholdt; Thamnoon Wanglee, who was in charge of finance; Captain Yothin Pamon-Montri, flight operations; Captain Chusak Krisnamook, ground operations; and Chitdee Rangavara, public relations.

“They were all very professional people,” Chatrachai recalled last year in one of his final interviews. 

As the management face of Thai International, Chatrachai instituted the marketing activity plan as an annual event in 1972, drawing in the airline’s representatives from all over its widening route net. The gatherings promoted different parts of Thailand and were thrown open to the press. Journalists attended in great numbers and generated plenty of well-informed coverage of the best aspects of Thailand’s travel industry. 

Marketing Thailand as a destination was always as important to Chatrachai as promoting the airline. He made sure Thai International engaged in national tourism promotions in partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and other industry bodies. Many miss the enthusiastic national team spirit he personified.  

Flying Douglas DC6s, Convairs and later Caravelles, Thai International was set up in 1960 as a joint venture with Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). Chatrachai came across from the UK’s BOAC two years later. He oversaw Thai International’s absorption of domestic carrier Thai Airways in the 1980s. 

“The Scandinavians were the best partners because they were partners from three countries,” said Chatrachai. In 1977, the Scandinavians were asked to “let Thai be Thai” and relinquish their remaining equity at par. 

“I offered to take over SAS at that time, but they laughed,” Chatrachai later recalled.

Marketing and technical co-operation continued, however, and Chatrachai maintained a particularly close working relationship with Neils Lumholdt, one of the “Vikings” who stayed on and made Thailand his home.  

Chatrachai was educated in the UK in the 1950s, attending Regent Street Technical College and then Cardiff University where, as an outstanding badminton, squash and tennis player, he was named sportsman of the year.

“We thought that in Wales only the rugby players would get recognition, but they were very fair,” said Chatrachai. 

He retained great affection for the UK, where he first met his wife Shirley Weekes on a tennis court in Portsmouth. The couple had two daughters, Tania and Anna. Chatrachai also spent time in London training with BOAC, which merged much later in 1974 with BEA to form British Airways.  

Chatrachai attended an advanced management programme at Harvard Business School, and was in Batch 28 (1985-86) of Thailand’s National Defence College. In private life, he was a loyal supporter of the Old England Students Association. He enjoyed regular get-togethers with the 50s Group, whose members all once belonged to the Samakki Samakhon, the association of Thai students studying in the UK. They used to meet each year in exotic, often damp British destinations such as Bath, Bournemouth and Edinburgh.  

“They loved my salted beef,” said Chatrachai, who prepared the dish meticulously for special occasions. He learned his prized recipe from a shop run by three brothers opposite London’s Windmill Theatre, where it was served on rye bread with piping hot coffee. 

After retiring from Thai International, Chatrachai became president of PB Air. Having marshalled 20,000 staff at Thai International, he found himself at an airline with only 40 staff. But it was still an airline. 

Over the years Chatrachai held numerous important chairmanships and directorships with other prominent entities, including Italthai Group, MBK Group, Bangkok Patana School, Royal Orchid Hotel and The Dusit Thani. He also served as a senator, and as a member of the National Legislative Assembly in 2006-07.  

Chatrachai is survived by his wife Shirley, his daughter Tania and her daughter Alexia Traill, his daughter Anna and son-in-law Tom Whitcraft, and their son Nicholas Chatrachai Whitcraft.