Thai Airways is the flag carrier of Thailand and a member of Star Alliance. The airline is highly regarded in the industry, particularly for its outstanding first class product. From its hubs in Bangkok and Phuket, THAI flies to over 101 destinations in 37 countries.
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Royal Orchid Plus is the frequent flyer program of Thai Airways. Royal Orchid Plus miles can be used for award flights, upgrades and excess baggage on THAI flights, as well as lounge access. Plus, you can transfer your Citi ThankYou® Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy points to Royal Orchid Plus miles. For everything you need to know about the Thai Airways frequent flyer program, keep reading.
| Hubs | Bangkok, Phuket |
| Alliance | Star Alliance |
| Transfer Partners | Citi ThankYou® Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy |
| Redemption Options | Flights, upgrades and excess baggage on THAI and THAI Smile, lounge access |
Royal Orchid Plus Elite Status
When you join Royal Orchid Plus, you’ll automatically become a Basic member. Move up status tiers when you collect enough Qualifying Miles during the 12-month or 24-month period after enrollment. Q Miles are the actual miles flown and additional class of service miles on THAI, THAI Smile and Star Alliance airlines.
| STATUS TIER | Q MILES REQUIRED 12 / 24 MONTHS |
| Basic | None |
| Silver | 10,000 / 15,000 |
| Gold | 50,000 / 80,000* |
*Or, fly 40 international sectors on Thai Airways within a 12-month rolling period.
To earn Platinum status, you’ll need to rack up 80,000 Tier Miles in each of two consecutive 12-month rolling periods. Tier Miles are the miles flown in Royal First Class and Royal Silk Class on Thai Airways flights only.
Once you unlock a tier, you’ll have that status for the next two years. Status benefits include:
| SILVER | GOLD | PLATINUM | |
| Bonus miles each time status is attained | 3,000 | 5,000 | 10,000 |
| Priority check-in at Star Alliance Gold counters | X | X | |
| Dedicated check-in counters | X | ||
| Priority baggage handling | X | X | X |
| Additional baggage allowance | 10kg | 20kg | 30kg |
| Gold Track Priority Lanes | X | X | |
| Priority reservations waitlisting and airport standby | X | X | X |
| Priority boarding | X | X | |
| Immigration Fast Track | X | ||
| Guaranteed seating in Economy Class | X | X | |
| Complimentary roundtrip upgrades on THAI and THAI Smile international routes | 2 | 2 | |
| Complimentary access to THAI Royal Silk First Class lounges | +1 | +1 | |
| Complimentary access to THAI Smile operated lounges | +1 | +1 | |
| Complimentary access to Star Alliance Gold lounges | +1 | +1 | |
| Select Royal Orchid Plus service fees waived | X | ||
| 5 complimentary changes to Award Nominee list per personal year | X | ||
| No miles expiration | X |
Earning Royal Orchid Plus Miles
Earn Royal Orchid Plus miles through paid travel on Thai Airways, travel partners and hotel bookings.
Flights. The amount of miles you earn by flying with Thai Airways depends on your booking class. Unlike most other frequent flyer miles, you won’t earn any bonus miles with elite status. You can also credit partner airlines – THAI Smile, Nok Air and Star Alliance members – to Royal Orchid Plus miles. Star Alliance members include:
- Brussels Airlines
- Copa Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- Egypt Air
- Ethiopian Airlines
- EVA Air
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
Hotel stays. Earn up to 750 miles per stay with a Royal Orchid Plus hotel partner, including Accor, Dusit, Hyatt, Intercontinental, Langham, Marriott and Shangri-La. You can also earn miles by booking with a online travel agency partner, such as Agoda, Kaligo and Trip.com.
Car rentals. Earn miles when you rent from Avis, Budget, Hertz or Sixt.
Other ways to earn Royal Orchid Plus miles include:
- Dining at restaurant partners.
- Getting pampered at spa partners Devarana, Divana and Namm.
- Shopping at Villa Market, a supermarket.
- Using Travelling Connect, a mobile network for international calling and texting, or MOGO S, a global data SIM card.
- Getting to places with Grab.
Earning Royal Orchid Plus Miles with Citi ThankYou Rewards
One of the easiest ways to earn Royal Orchid Plus Miles as an American is by transferring your Citi ThankYou® Rewards points. Citi Prestige® Credit Card points transfer at a 2:1 ratio, while Citi Premier® Card transfer at a 3:1 ratio.
Other transfer partners include:
| REWARDS PROGRAM | TRANSFER RATIO |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 3:1* |
*Plus a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points you transfer.
Here are some recommended cards earning points from those reward programs.
MARRIOTT BONVOY BRILLIANT™ AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card has an offer for 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. We value these 75k points at around $675.
This card earns 6 points per $1 at hotels participating in the Marriott BonvoyTM program and 3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. You’ll receive 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
You’ll get a Free Night Award (redemption level up to 50,000 points) every account anniversary year, and up to $300 in statement credits each year for eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott BonvoyTM program. Resort fees may apply. Other benefits include unlimited airport lounge visits with the Priority Pass Select membership and no foreign transaction fees.
This premium card comes with an Annual Fee of $450. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
MARRIOTT BONVOY BOUNDLESS® CREDIT CARD
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase has an offer for 3 Free Nights after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
New to the card, you will earn 3x Bonvoy points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. The card is also offering an Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 spent.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card earns 17 points for every $1 spent at over 7,000+ participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. You’ll receive 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
You’ll get a Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every account anniversary year and automatic Silver Elite Status. Additionally, you’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.
This card has no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $95.
MARRIOTT BONVOY BOLD® CREDIT CARD
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has an offer for 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months. We value these 30k points at around $270.
This card earns 14 points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. Other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains) will earn 2 points per $1. All other purchases will earn 1 point per $1.
You’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, qualifying you for Silver Elite status.
There are no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee.
MARRIOTT BONVOY BUSINESS™ AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card has a limited time offer for 75,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. We value these 75k points to be worth around $675.
This card earns 6 points per $1 at participating hotels in the Marriott BonvoyTM program. It’s 4 points per $1 at U.S. restaurants and U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping. And 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.
Every year after your account anniversary you’ll get 1 free night award. You can earn an additional free night award after spending $60,000 in purchases in 1 calendar year.
There are no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $125. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
CITI PRESTIGE® CREDIT CARD
The Citi Prestige® Card has a 50,000 bonus points offer. Spend $4,000 within 3 months of account opening to qualify. These 50k bonus points are worth $500 in travel.
For the most value out of your points, redeem for flights through Citi, where your bonus will be worth 1.33 cents per point. This is another card that competes in the premium travel category, and the annual fee will signify that at $495.
In effect, this card is only a good option for frequent travelers who can take advantage of the premium benefits : 5X points on air travel & restaurants, 3X points on hotels & cruise lines, $250 Air Travel Credit annually, and free access to 1,300+ airport lounges with Priority Pass Select. For those in this niche market, this card will provide high perceived value.
CITI PREMIER® CARD
The Citi Premier® Card offers a 80,000 ThankYou Points after you make at least $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. These points are worth $800 in gift cards through Citi.
This card offers 3 points for every $1 spent on travel including gas stations, 2 points for every $1 spent at restaurants and on entertainment, and 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
The card has an annual fee of $95 that is waived for the first 12 months.
Redeeming Royal Orchid Plus Miles
Please note, Royal Orchid Plus members can no longer redeem miles on Star Alliance airlines, for hotel stays and for some lifestyle awards, until further notice.
Flight awards with THAI and THAI Smile. One-way travel from Bangkok to Thai destinations start at 7,500 miles. Unfortunately, there are no air award options between the United States and Thailand on the Royal Orchid Plus award chart.
Upgrade awards with THAI and THAI Smile. One-sector upgrade from Bangkok to Thai destinations start at 12,000 miles, valid on paid tickets in eligible booking classes. You must request an upgrade more than 24 hours prior to the scheduled flight departure.
Excess baggage awards on THAI-operated flights. Starting at 6,000 miles for an excess of 5kg for flights within Zone 1, from Bangkok to destinations like Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. You must check-in at least two hours prior to flight departure.
Lounge access in Bangkok. Royal Orchid Plus Silver members pay 6,500 per entry, plus another 6,500 miles for each accompanying guest. Gold and Platinum members pay 5,500 miles for additional guests per entry.
Royal Orchid Plus Miles expire after 36 months of inactivity. To keep your account active, make sure to earn or burn points at least three years.
Royal Orchid Plus Important Information
Royal Orchid Plus allows one stopover, even on one-way tickets. However, this does not apply to travel solely within Thailand, and it is subject to fees. One open-jaw is also permitted, at origin or the point of turnaround.
Keep in mind, roundtrip tickets are cheaper than two one-way tickets, you can’t search for award space online without miles, and most ticket changes require award cancellation and another ticket request. Thai Airways will charge you $25 for changing or cancelling a flight more than 24 hours before departure. The fee jumps to $100 for cancellations within three to 24 hours of departure.
Bottom Line
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus used to be a robust frequent flyer program, thanks to its transfer partnerships with Citi ThankYou Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy. But now that members can’t redeem for Star Alliance partner and hotel awards, it’s very difficult to find value in Royal Orchid Plus unless you live in Thailand.
For a better use of your Citi ThankYou Rewards points, consider joining Air France – KLM Flying Blue, Etihad Guest or Singapore Krisflyer instead.
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