Thai Airways is known as one of the top airlines in the world, particularly for first class. As a Star Alliance airline member, there’s no shortage of ways to fly on Thai Airways. Not so obvious, however, is how to earn Thai Airways miles.
Their frequent flyer program is known as Royal Orchid Plus, but for the sake of brevity, we’ll be referencing Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus miles as Thai Airways miles.
There aren’t too many ways to earn Thai Airways miles, but there are still a variety of opportunities for us to explore. Let’s get started.
Sign Up for a Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus Account
Signing up for a Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus account is made easy by their online website.
Here’s how to register:
- Visit the Thai Airways Registration Link.
- Check the box that says I accept Royal Orchid Plus Terms & Conditions
- Click Next
- Populate your personal information, contact details, preferences, and credentials
- Submit the online form
- You’re registered!
You’ll be able to earn Thai Airways miles from any sort of qualifying activity, whether it’s on flights or shopping with their partners.
Now that you’re set up with a Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus account, let’s get into the best ways to earn Thai Airways miles.
Earn Thai Airways Miles With Credit Cards
Earning Thai Airways miles is made easier by the transfer partners it has. Redeeming Thai Airways miles for business and first class will take a lot of miles, especially when redeeming for multiple people or a family.
The best way to accrue Thai Airways miles is through the methodical use of point-earning credit cards.
We have quite a few options here, and although we’re focusing on the options for U.S. credit card holders, there are actually a lot of options for international card holders, too!
Citi ThankYou Rewards Credit Cards (Best Option)
Without a doubt, the best way to earn Thai Airways miles quickly is by transferring points from Citi ThankYou Rewards. Citi ThankYou Rewards Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio in increments of 1,000.
In order to transfer points from Citi ThankYou Rewards, you’ll need to have a credit card that not only earns ThankYou Rewards Points but also has the points transfer functionality.
For example, the Citi Premier Card makes you eligible to transfer ThankYou Points to airline partners, while the Citi Rewards+® Card doesn’t. You must have a Citi Premier or Citi Prestige® credit card to transfer points to airline partners.
Once you have either of these two cards, you’ll be able to multiply your points by leveraging bonus categories as shown in the list below:
| Category | Applicable Credit Cards | Bonus Points |
| Dining | Prestige Card | 5x |
| Preferred Card | 2x |
| Premier Card | 2x |
| Supermarkets | Rewards+ Card | 2x |
| Gas stations | Premier Card | 3x |
| Rewards+ Card | 2x |
| Entertainment | Preferred Card | 2x |
| Premier Card | 2x |
| Hotels | Prestige Card | 3x |
| Cruise Lines | Prestige Card | 3x |
| All other purchases | Prestige Card | 1x |
| Rewards+ Card | 1x |
| Premier Card | 1x |
Limited Time Offer: For a limited time, the Citi Rewards+ card earns 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on air travel and hotels up to $6,000 in the first 12 months and then 1 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent thereafter.
There are essentially 4 credit cards you can use to earn ThankYou Rewards Points as shown in the chart above. Using these bonus categories will dramatically accelerate your ability to earn points.
Hot Tip: Want to know how to earn more Citi ThankYou Rewards Points than you thought possible? Check out our complete guide on how to earn 100,000+ ThankYou Points in 90 days!
Marriott Credit Cards
When it comes to points flexibility, Marriott takes the cake. Marriott has traditionally been known as a hotel currency, but there are, arguably, better ways to redeem Marriott points for flights than hotels.
With 40+ transfer partners to choose from, there’s no shortage of ways to creatively use your points.
The main difference between Citi and Marriott points is their transfer ratio. Marriott points transfer to most of their partners at a 3:1 ratio, meaning you’ll receive 1,000 Thai Airways miles for transferring 60,000 Marriott points.
Additionally, you’ll receive a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points you transfer. This means that you’ll receive 25,000 Thai Airways miles for transferring 60,000 Marriott points.
Yes, you’ll need more Marriott points since the ratio is 3:1, but the ways to earn Marriott points are much more plentiful. The best part is that both American Express and Chase have Marriott co-branded credit cards.
Recommended Marriott Cards
Refer a Friend for Bonus Miles
By utilizing referral bonuses, you can help your friends and family earn points and reward yourself.
American Express has the Refer-a-Friend program, which allows you to refer your friends and family to virtually any personal card in the American Express portfolio when you have a personal card.
If you have an Amex business credit card, you can refer to almost any business card. To begin referring your friends to American Express, you’ll need to log in to your online account.
Chase also offers a similar Refer-a-Friend program, though you can only refer a card to friends if you currently have that card.
Hot Tip: Referral bonuses are subject to change. Using referral bonuses is an excellent way to increase your points balance with very little effort.
Citi is in the process of implementing a referral program for its credit cards. At the moment, the most applicable credit card from Citi is the Premier card.
Although the referral bonus isn’t available online and is only available to those who’ve received an email or letter, pretty much everyone who currently has the Premier card has gotten some form of communication enabling them to begin referring others.
Other Credit Card Partners
Thai Airways has a number of co-branded and non-co-branded credit cards that earn Thai Airways miles. However, these are only available to cardholders who are residents of other countries.
For those who are located abroad, you can learn more about international credit card partners from the Thai Airways website.
Here are the options for (international) co-branded credit cards:
| Co-branded Credit Card Issuers |
| American Express | AEON |
| Citibank | KTC |
| JCB | Sumitomo Mitsui Bank |
Here are the options for (international) non-co-branded credit cards:
| Non-co-branded Credit Card Issuers |
| American Express | AEON |
| Bangkok Bank | Citibank |
| Central Credit Card | Diners Club International |
| Kasikorn Bank | Krungsri |
| KTC | SCB |
| TMB | UOB |
| Government Savings Bank | |
As you can see, there are many options to earn Thai Airways miles internationally, more so than in the U.S.
Earn Miles through Shopping and Dining
If you need some ways outside of credit card spending, or perhaps in conjunction with credit card spending, there are a few ways to earn Thai Airways miles quickly.
If you’re in Thailand, you can eat at several restaurant partners to earn Thai Airways miles. Alternatively, Thai Airways has a few health and wellness partners that you can use to accrue extra miles.
Thai Airways Dining Partners
Thai Airways has a relatively small list of dining partners, and all are located in Thailand. Most of these partners are restaurants located in hotels, so you’re somewhat limited there.
Still, if you’re planning on eating there anyway, you’ll be pleased to know you can earn Thai Airways miles.
Here’s the list of dining partners (1 Thai baht = THB):
| Property | Restaurant | Type | Mileage Accrual |
|---|
| Dusit Thani Bangkok | The Pavilion | International | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Hamilton’s Steak House | Steak house | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| The Mayflower | Chinese | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Thien Duong | Authentic Vietnamese cuisine and modern Thai | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Lobby Lounge | Modern Thai | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Dusit Thani Hua Hin | Steak & Seafood | Seafood | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Authentic Royal Thai Cuisine | Thai | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket | La Trattoria | Italian | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Casuarina Beach Restaurant | Seafood | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Dusit Thani Pattaya | The Bay | Italian | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| The Peak | Chinese | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Dusit Thani Dubai | Benjarong | Thai | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| PAX Italian Restaurant | Italian | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Dusit Thani Manila | The Pantry | International | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Benjarong Royal Thai Restaurant | Authentic Royal Thai cuisine | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| UMU Japanese Restaurant | Japanese | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Dusit Island Resort Chiang Rai | Chinatown | Chinese | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| The Peak | Steak house | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| dusitD2 Chiang Mai | moxie restaurant | World cuisine | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| dusitD2 Phuket Resort | Flavours Restaurant | International | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Dusit Princess Srinakarin, Bangkok | Square One | International | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Cantonese and Szechuan | Chinese | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Royal Princess Chiang Mai | Jasmine Restaurant | Thai | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Pathumwan Princess, MBK Centre, Bangkok | Kongju Korean Restaurant | Korean | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Citi Bistro | All day dining; International | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Loop Italian Terrace and Bar | Italian | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok | River Barge | International | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Pier 28 | International | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Silverwave | Chinese | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| The Sukosol | Lin-Fa Chinese Restaurant | Chinese | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Yellow Orchid Restaurant | Suvarnabhumi (OPC Building) | | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Chiang Mai Airport | | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Chiang Rai Airport | | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Krabi Airport | | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Phuket Airport | | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| Puff & Pie Bakery House | Rak Khun Tao Fha Building | | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
| THAI Head Office | | 500 THB = 50 Miles |
As you can see, most of the dining partners are located in hotels. For more information, visit the Thai Airways website.
Thai Airways Health and Wellness Partners
Thai Airways’ main health and wellness partner is Divana. Divana has 5 locations, all of which are in Bangkok. Divana is a wellness spa, where you can experience massages, body and facial treatments, along with other wellness and medical therapies.
You can earn 50 Thai Airways miles for every 500 THB spent there.
In addition, you can also visit the Devarana Spa at Dusit Hotels. There are 4 locations in Pattaya, Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai. You’ll earn 50 Thai Airways miles for every 500 THB you spend at Devarana Spa.
Earn Miles Through Travel
As you might imagine, the best ways to earn Thai Airways miles without credit card spending is through travel. You can earn a lot of Thai Airways miles through paid travel on Thai Airways, travel partners, and hotel bookings.
This section is focused on using paid travel through partners and Thai Airways to rack up tons of Thai Airways miles.
Airfare and Airline Purchases
Thai Airways Boeing 747 – First Class. Image Credit: Cherag DubashOne of the best ways to earn Thai Airways miles quickly is by purchasing tickets to fly on the airline’s flights.
For every flight on Thai Airways, you’ll earn at least 500 miles, with the exception of some booking classes.
Check out this chart for the definitive accrual of miles on Thai Airways:
| Class of Service | Operating Booking Class | Percentage of Actual Miles Flown |
|---|
| Royal First Class | F / A / P | 150% |
| Royal Silk Class | C / D / J / Z | 125% |
| Premium Economy Class | U | 110% |
| Economy Class | Y / B / M / Q / H | 100% |
| Economy Class (Discount) | T / K / S | 75% |
| Economy Class (Discount) | G | 50% |
| Economy Class (Discount) | V / W | 25% |
| Economy Class (Discount) | L | No miles |
| Ineligible Booking Classes | O / I / X / E / N / R | No Miles |
Keep in mind that if you pay for an upgrade at the airport, your mileage earning will be based on the original fare instead of the upgraded fare.
Interestingly, you won’t earn any bonus miles with Royal Orchid Plus elite status. Instead, you’ll earn a one-time Tier Status Threshold Bonus each time elite status is attained or retained as shown here:
| Royal Orchid Plus Membership Tier | Tier Status Threshold Bonus |
| Basic Status | 0 miles |
| Silver Status | 3,000 miles |
| Gold Status | 5,000 miles |
| Platinum Status | 10,000 miles |
Thai Airways also publishes the flight distances of all their routes.
Remember that the terms and conditions for earning Thai Airways miles are subject to change at any time, so be sure to verify all the information with Thai Airways.
Crediting Partner Airlines to Thai Airways Miles
If you’re planning on crediting partner airlines to Thai Airways miles, you have 3 options:
- THAI Smile (Thai Airways’ low-cost carrier)
- Nok Air
- Star Alliance Airlines
Let’s start with THAI Smile. If you book a THAI Smile flight sold by Thai Airways (with a TG 4-digit flight number) or sold by THAI Smile (with a WE 3-digit flight number), you’re eligible to accrue THAI Smile miles as shown in the following table:
| Class of Service | Booking Class | Actual Miles Flown | Minimum Miles |
|---|
| Premium Economy | U | 110% | 500 |
| Economy | Y, B, M, H, Q | 100% | 500 |
| T, K, S | 75% | 500 |
| G* | 50% | 500 |
| V, W | 25% | 500 |
| L, O, I, X, E, N, R | 0% | No miles |
*When flying in a G booking class, you’ll only earn 50% of actual miles on TG 4-digit flights and no miles on WE 3-digit flights.
With Nok Air, the mileage accrual is much easier. There are 3 fares:
- Nok Lite
- Nok X-tra
- Nok Max
Travelers earn 0 miles for Nok Lite fares, 150 miles for Nok X-tra fares, and 250 miles for Nok Max fares per sector flown.
Our last way to earn miles flying on a partner airline is with Star Alliance airlines. Most airlines have separate accrual rates for each airline in the alliance. However, Thai Airways keeps it simple.
You’ll accrue miles as per the following chart:
| Class of Service | Actual Miles Flown |
|---|
| First Class | 150% |
| Business Class | 125% |
| Economy Class | 100% |
Make sure you understand the terms and conditions of earning miles from Star Alliance travel.
Overall, there are a ton of ways to credit partner airlines to Thai Airways thanks to the large network of airlines from Star Alliance.
Car Rentals and Other Ground Transportation Partners
Thai Airways has 5 car rental and ground transportation partners:
| Partner | Bonus Miles | Partner | Bonus Miles |
| Avis | 500 miles per rental | Hertz | 500 miles per rental outside of Asia, 250 miles per rental within Asia |
| Budget | 500 miles per rental | Sixt | 500 miles per rental, 1,000 miles per Sixt limousine transfer |
| Blacklane | 2 miles/$1 | | |
In addition, you’re eligible to stack promotions to get discounts and earn double or even triple miles, which we’ll discuss at the end of this guide.
Thai Airways Hotel Partners
Thai Airways has a ton of hotel partners, and you can earn up to 750 miles per qualifying stay. You can also earn miles based on spending activity with hotel partners.
Thai Airways doesn’t publish the earning structure for every partner. When making a reservation, you must insert your Royal Orchid Plus membership number online or make your reservation through the call center.
Here are That Airways’ hotel partners:
| Hotel Partners |
| AccorHotels | Chatrium Hotels and Residences |
| Dusit Hotels & Resorts | Hyatt |
| Intercontinental Hotel Group | Karaksa hotel |
| Langham Hospitality Group | Minor Hotels Group |
| Okura Nikko Hotels | Shangri-La Group |
| Marriott | Sukosol Hotels |
| Worldhotels | |
It’s easy to find a hotel that fits you and also enables you to earn Thai Airways miles with so many brands to choose from. For more information on their exact terms and conditions, visit the Thai Airways website.
Thai Airways Hotel Booking Portals
Thai Airways partners with hotel booking portals to enable travelers to earn Thai Airways miles.
Here are their hotel booking portal partners:
| Booking Portal | Miles Earning | Booking Portal | Miles Earning |
| Kaligo.com | Up to 20 miles/$1 | Agoda | Up to 10,000 miles with PointsMAX packages |
Be sure to confirm that the prices you’re getting are not significantly higher than the cheapest available rates. In other words, it’s best to shop around before committing.
Thai Airways Communications Partners
Thai Airways partners with Travelling Connect, which is a mobile network for international calling and texting.
You’re eligible to earn miles for up to 4 mobile phone numbers (including your own).
The way it works is that Travelling Connect partners with other networks in a variety of different countries and offers miles depending on what network you’re using, what country you’re using it in, and what activity you’re doing.
Here’s the complete chart of partner networks:
Country | Network | Miles per minute outgoing call | Miles per minute incoming call | SMS and/or Data |
|---|
| Asia |
| India | Vodafone | 1 | 1 | – |
| Kazakhstan | Kcell | 3 | – | – |
| Maldives | Ooredo | 3 | – | – |
| South Korea | KT | 1 | – | – |
| Thailand | True Move | 3 | – | – |
| Vietnam | Viettel | 1 | – | 2 |
| Europe |
| Armenia | Beeline | 1 | – | – |
| Montenegro | T-Mobile | 3 | – | – |
| Turkey | Turkcell | 4 | – | 1 mile per 2 SMS |
Middle East and Africa
|
| Afghanistan | Roshan | 2 | – | 2 per MB |
| Algeria | Djezzy | 7 | – | – |
| Bahrain* | Zain | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Kuwait | Ooredo | 4 | – | – |
| Seychelles | Cable & Wireless | 5 | – | 4 per MB |
| Sudan | MTN | 2 | – | – |
| Oceania |
| Fiji, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu | Digicel | 3 | – | 3 per MB |
*When using Zain in Bahrain, you’ll earn 3 miles per 1 Euro.
Your specific mileage accrual is dependent on your exact travel situation.
Specialty Earnings for Thai Airways Miles
The last method we’ll be discussing will be categorized as a specialty earning method. There are ways to multiply your Thai Airways earnings.
Thai Airways Promotions
From time to time, Thai Airways will run promotions with its partners. Some promotions are for redemptions while others are for mileage accrual.
For example, Hertz partnered with Thai Airways to offer a global sale that allows members to save up to 20% and earn 1,000 miles per rental, which is a fantastic deal. Other promotions have historically included opportunities to earn double or triple miles.
It’s definitely a smart move to take advantage of these promotions when they come about. Follow the Thai Airways website to learn about the latest promotions.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of great ways to earn Thai Airways miles.
Royal Orchid Plus is a worthwhile frequent flyer program to look into. Although they pass on fuel surcharges, the available transfer partners along with the ability to book Star Alliance flights make this program worth looking into.
If you spend a lot of time in Thailand, you’ll notice that there are tons of ways to boost your mileage balance even more. Now you have an idea of the best ways to earn a lot of Thai Airways miles.
