Supporters of the plan say it is vital to offset the loss of tourism revenue facing an economy that is already predicted to shrink by more than five per cent this year. The Tourism Authority is predicting between 14 and 16 million foreigners will visit the country in 2020, down from 39.8 million in 2019.

But critics say the company should not rely on taxpayers’ money to fix problems that allegedly include mismanagement and corruption.

“The public mindset is that this is not a national carrier, but an organisation that is a burden on our taxes,” tweeted one Thai. Another complained that while ordinary Thais had to queue for hours to claim a 5,000 baht cash handout from the government it “tenders the money to Thai Airways unconditionally”.

The lack of sympathy, according to opposition MP Sirikanya Tanskul, is rooted in the poor performance of the company, which has reported losses since at least 2017. The MP warned rescuing the carrier threatened “moral hazard”.

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“Thai Airways used to be the pride of the nation. It used to have such an image that represents Thailand,” she said. “But lately we have heard of its problems with corruption and inefficient management and every time the public has to shoulder the financial burden [even] when their trust has deteriorated.”

Yutthaporn Issarachai, a political scientist at Sukhothai Thammarat Open University, was of a similar view.

He said an overhaul of the airline should happen only if and when the government reduced its stake in the company, thereby ending its state enterprise status, as this would lessen the risk to the public purse.

“It would increase good governance, transparency and checks, and with a smaller government stake, there would be less political clout in the organisation,” he said. “Now when economic hardship caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is a priority issue, Thais do not feel it is so necessary to have a national carrier.”

Sirikanya noted that a recent 1.9 trillion-baht (US$58 billion) stimulus package launched to offset the economic impact of the coronavirus had pushed public debt to 57 per cent of GDP. Additional loans to help Thai Airways “could mean that there will be less room left for similar loan packages” in future.

Sirikanya, who belongs to the Move Forward Party, said any rehabilitation plan should be conditional on the airway filing for bankruptcy, thereby freezing its debts.

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This is not the first time the company has tried to rehabilitate its business model. In 2015 it attempted a similar process by streamlining operations, routes and its fleet in an effort to offset increasing competition.

Transport Minister Saksayam has said the new plan must provide a clear strategy in how to deal with the coronavirus.

The problems facing the airline hit the headlines when Sumeth Damrongchaitham resigned as company president in March after reportedly failing to get the rehabilitation plan approved.

Citing the pandemic, aerospace company Airbus in April pulled out of an 11 billion baht joint venture to develop a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Rayong’s U-Tapao Airport.

Additional reporting by Reuters