airline

Thai Royal Orchid Plus

Star AllianceHUBSBKKLast reviewed Jun 2026
Redeems on:ANA Mileage ClubEVA Air Infinity MileageLandsSingapore KrisFlyerSWISS International Air LinesThai Royal Orchid PlusUnited MileagePlus

Thai Royal Orchid Plus (ROP) is the loyalty program of Thai Airways International, the BKK-based Star Alliance carrier that emerged from court-supervised business rehabilitation in 2026 and is rebuilding around its "Silk Hub" Bangkok strategy. The fleet is a mix of A350-900, 777-300ER, A330, and 787 widebodies - around 80 aircraft today, growing toward roughly 100 by end-2026 with 10 leased 787s arriving from March 2026. AMS resumed in July 2026, and the China network is expanding (Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chongqing) under CEO Chai Eamsiri. Annual passengers run around 16 million, and the iLoyal digital loyalty platform launched in 2025.

For US travelers, ROP is a niche currency. None of Amex MR, Chase UR, Capital One, Bilt, or Wells Fargo transfer to it. The practical bridges are Citi ThankYou (1:1 from premium cards, 1:0.7 from non-premium) and Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 with the 5,000-mile bonus at the 60K tier). The reasons to bother are very specific: Thai Royal Silk on the A350-900 to Europe is a strong product, and Star Alliance partner business class through ROP can occasionally beat United or Aeroplan pricing. Be ready for heavy fuel surcharges on THAI metal and most Star partners, and expect to pick up the phone for partner award booking.

Award chart

The actual numbers. Get your nerd on, memorize the cheap ones.

The cheat sheet.

See the rates

ROP uses a region-based published award chart with two THAI-metal subcharts (direct ex-BKK vs connecting via BKK) plus a separate Star Alliance partner chart. Sample saver one-way pricing as of May 2026:

Route Cabin Miles
US-BKK Star partners Business 80,000-90,000
Europe-BKK THAI metal Royal Silk 60,000-70,000
Intra-Asia Star partners Business 25,000-35,000
Domestic Thailand THAI Economy 7,500-10,000
Australia-BKK Star partners Business 60,000

Verify current pricing on thaiairways.com - region edges and per-cabin pricing nudge occasionally.

Sweet spots

Where your points punch above their weight.

Where this currency genuinely shines.

Show me the picks
  • Marriott to ROP for Star Alliance redemptions - the practical US path when stockpiling Bonvoy.
  • Transatlantic and intra-Asia partner business class on Star Alliance metal at competitive ROP pricing - verify per route.
  • THAI Royal Silk A350-900 BKK-Europe - the product is strong and award space is more reliable than partner availability.
  • Domestic Thailand on THAI at low mile prices for a layover splurge.
  • Off-peak partner availability can produce sharper pricing than United's dynamic chart.

Ways to earn more

How to get more points.

3 programs that transfer in.

See inbound paths

Programs that transfer points or miles into Thai Royal Orchid Plus.

FromRatioNotes
Citi ThankYou Rewards
premium1:1
standard1:0.7
Thai Royal Orchid Plus.
ALL - Accor Live Limitless2:14,000 Reward points = 2,000 Royal Orchid Plus Miles.
Marriott Bonvoy3:1Base 3:1 with a 5,000-mile bonus per 60,000 points transferred (effectively ~2.4:1 in 60K increments).

Tier benefits

The status ladder. 3 rungs, each unlocking better lounges, bags, and bragging rights.

3 status levels.

Climb the ladder

Silver

10,000 qualifying miles in 12 months or 15,000 in 24 months

  • 5% bonus miles on THAI flights
  • Extra checked baggage
  • Priority handling at THAI airports

Gold

50,000 qualifying miles in 12 months, 80,000 in 24 months, or 40 sectors

  • Star Alliance Gold
  • 10% bonus miles on THAI
  • Royal Orchid Lounge access plus 1 guest
  • 2 cabin upgrade certificates per year
  • Priority check-in, boarding, and baggage worldwide

Platinum

80,000 qualifying miles flown on THAI in Royal Silk or First

  • 20% bonus miles
  • Dedicated check-in at BKK
  • Top priority on waitlists
  • All Gold benefits
  • Highest-tier recognition on THAI metal

Lounge access

Where to vanish before takeoff. Your status (or ticket) opens which doors.

Who gets in, who doesn't, and the carve-outs.

See the rules

Thai Airways operates Royal Orchid Lounges at BKK and select outstations, plus a Royal First Lounge at BKK for First Class passengers and top-tier members. Gold members get Royal Orchid Lounge access on same-day THAI or Star Alliance flights, plus Star Alliance Gold reciprocal lounge access worldwide. Silver does not get standard lounge access. There is no published day pass program for ROP lounges.

How to spend

The high-leverage moves. Read this before you transfer a single mile.

The smart-money plays.

Get the playbook
  • Thai Royal Silk on A350-900 to Europe - the program's flagship own-metal product.
  • Star Alliance partner business class via the ROP partner chart - sometimes beats United or Aeroplan pricing.
  • Intra-Asia short-haul on THAI and Star partners at modest mile prices.
  • Marriott Bonvoy bridge for US travelers without Citi premium - 60K Bonvoy yields 25K ROP.
  • Citi premium-card 1:1 transfers for travelers targeting a specific Star Alliance award.

Tips & quirks

Stopover rules, surcharges, the stuff nobody tells you until you've been burned once.

The fine print, decoded.

Spill the gotchas
  • Miles expire 36 months from earning quarter - per-batch expiry, no activity-based reset. One of the stricter rules in Star Alliance.
  • Heavy fuel surcharges pass-through on THAI metal and most Star partners - factor fuel surcharges into any redemption math.
  • Limited online award booking - phone agent often required for partner awards. Be patient.
  • No US co-brand card - earning is by flying or transferring from Citi or Marriott.
  • No formal pooling; family plan is limited - do not count on combining balances.
  • Distance-based earning on THAI metal - fare class and distance both matter.
  • Region-based published award chart with two THAI-metal subcharts (direct ex-BKK vs connecting via BKK) plus a separate Star Alliance partner chart.
  • Citi transfer ratio depends on which Citi card you hold - premium cards get 1:1, non-premium cards get 1:0.7.
  • Star Alliance member since 1997 - one of the founding members.
  • iLoyal digital loyalty platform launched in 2025 - some account features have moved off the legacy ROP portal.
  • Completed business rehabilitation in 2026 - the program is stable, but verify operational changes on thaiairways.com before booking.
  • Partner award space sometimes loads online but ticketing requires a phone call.

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Last reviewed: June 2026

Loyalty programs change rules, fees, transfer ratios, and award pricing all the time — sometimes without warning. We do our best to keep these pages current, but the program's own site is always the final word. Always confirm specifics directly with Thai Royal Orchid Plus before transferring miles or booking an award. Treat anything on this page as a starting point, not a guarantee. Crazy4Points is not responsible for actions taken based on information here — see our Terms of Service for full details.