Patee Sarasin is making a comeback in Thailand’s aviation sector by starting his own airline, five years after resigning as CEO of low-cost carrier Nok Air.
The newcomer in this severely affected by the epidemic and still recovering from the crisis industry goes by the name of Really Cool Airlines.
At the March 22 news conference to promote his new creation, Patee remarked, “We are happy to establish Really Cool Airlines and look forward to offering travelers with an amazing flying experience.
veteran of the aviation sector
The long-haul airline would launch in December, with flight routes to be disclosed in June, according to the industry veteran’s plans, which were made public.
According to Patee, the Bangkok-based airline would be promoted as a full-service “lifestyle carrier” with the goal of providing passengers with a distinctive travel experience that falls between luxury and low-cost airlines. “We Fly the Future” is its catchphrase.
Two leased Airbus A330s will be used by Really Cool Airlines to start off, and two more aircraft will be added the following year. With prospective flights reaching Australia, China, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom, it will target tourists, who make up 70% of Thai airline customers.
According to Patee, who is leading the operation as CEO, the new airline would concentrate mostly on foreign routes to minimize competition with well-established domestic carriers.
RC Airlines Co Ltd, which was established on March 2 with a registered capital of 200 million baht, is the parent company of the new airline. Patee is one of the three directors and the founder of the parent company.
being limited to ‘cool things’
The 61-year-old said the airline is implementing new technologies and creative ideas to assist lower operational costs and improve passenger comfort when he appeared on a TV talk program in late March.
He revealed the name of his new business to the host of the program and said, “I won’t do something if it’s not cool.
One of the few charismatic Thai businessmen, Patee is renowned for his ability to amuse. While working in the advertising sector, he appeared in numerous commercials. Later, after appearing in a number of advertisements for the airline, he was named the “face” of Nok Air.
He also participated in a singing competition on the TV show “The Masked Singer” and played a cameo in the well-known TV drama series “Gentlemen of Jutathep.”
On October 24, 1961, Patee was born into a prosperous Thai-Chinese family. From 1999 until his retirement in 2012, his father Arsa, an 85-year-old former foreign minister, worked as the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s personal secretary. In 1957, Pote Sarasin, Patee’s grandfather, held the position of prime minister. The family owns and operates Thai Pure Drinks Co Ltd, a Coca-Cola bottler in the area.
Patee received the most of his education outside of the country; he finished high school in England before continuing his education there. From Clark University, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and computer science, and from American University in Washington, he earned a master’s degree in mass communication.
Before taking the helm of the Thai division of the global advertising company Bates at the age of 31, he began his career in advertising by working with the Lintas and Spa agencies. a challenging time with Nok Air
Patee changed careers ten years later, joining Nok Air in 2004 when it was only being started. He oversaw a difficult ten years for the low-cost carrier.
The devastating Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 that struck Thailand and other nations bordering the Indian Ocean served as the catalyst. The Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok was then blocked in 2006 as a result of anti-government demonstrations.
In 2008, the airline came dangerously close to bankruptcy as prices rose as a result of a rise in the price of oil. The Great Flood of Thailand in 2011 followed, forcing Nok Air to relocate its base from the flooded Don Mueang Airport to Suvarnabhumi.
When Nok Air’s check-in system malfunctioned in August 2015 over a lengthy holiday break, it severely damaged the airline’s brand and caused flight delays, passenger outcry, and chaos at the terminal. The CEO personally apologized in writing and extended complimentary tickets to all impacted passengers as restitution.
A year later, after a pilot strike that resulted in the cancellation of numerous flights, he once more had to apologize on behalf of hundreds of customers.
Nok Air sustained enormous losses under his direction: 471 million baht in 2014, 726 million in 2015, and 2.1 billion in 2016.
After 13 years as the airline’s CEO, he retired in September 2017. A year later, Patee launched Really Really Cool, an online vacation agency.
