Thai Smile (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK)) has agreed with aircraft lessor AWAS to lease nine additional new A320-200s that will complement the five A320-200s Thai Airways International (TG, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK)) already operates under the Thai Smile brand and the six additional aircraft of the same type it has on order from Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)). Thai Smile currently is just a division of Thai Airways International but is expected to start operating on its own air operator certificate at a later stage.

Thai Smile (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK)) managing director Woranate Laprabang has told the Centre for Aviation that Thai Airways International (TG, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK)) would have decided in principle back in November of 2012 that Thai Smile will be transitioned from a division to an independent airline. Thai Smile currently operates as a separate business unit of Thai Airways and operates its four A320-200s under the same air operator certificate and IATA code. Its product has been positioned between low-cost carriers and Thai mainline and it currently operates on routes from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport to Chiang Mai International (CNX), Krabi (KBV), Macau International (MFM), Phuket International (HKT) and Surat Thani (URT) as well as between Chiang Mai and Phuket.

Thai Smile (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK)) has taken delivery of its first A320-200 HS-TXA (c/n 5198) in anticipation of its scheduled launch on July 7 when it will launch twice daily service between Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK) and Macau International (MFM). The Thai Airways International (TG, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK)) division has 11 A320-200s on order.

Thai Airways International (TG, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK)) president Piyasvasti Amranand has said that the national carrier would have started talks with Nok Air (DD, Bangkok Don Mueang International (DMK)) about setting up a new low-cost carrier that would operate regional routes to other South East Asian countries. Thai already owns 49% of domestic LCC Nok Air operating from Don Muang and has set up Thai Smile (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK)) as a new regional division that will operate A320-200s from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK) from June but be positioned as a regional full service operator and not a LCC.

Thai Airways International (TG, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK)) is expected to follow in the foot steps of competitors AirAsia (AK, Kuala Lumpur International (KUL)), Qantas (QF, Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD)) and Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi International (SIN)) by launching it own long-haul low-cost operation. According to a report by the Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation it is considering either setting up a separate new airline, using its Thai Smile (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK)) division that is launching in June although not technically as a separate airline or in partnership with domestic low-cost carrier Nok Air (DD, Bangkok Don Mueang International (DMK)) that it partially owns.