Thailand’s flag carrier Thai Airways International (THAI) reported on Friday its net profits in the third quarter fell to 68 million bath ($2.53 million) from 743 million baht ($21.85 million), or 86 per cent comparing with the corresponding period last year on the baht strong and lower demand amid slowing down economy.

“Number of customers dropped sharply in line with economic slowdown and political uncertainties,” the company’s president Apinan Sumanaseni told a news conference, referring to last year’s coup d’etat.

Apinan declined to release further details whether the airline would file earning details to the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) next week.

THAI’s total revenue from April to June was 114 million baht ($3.35 million), down 80.1 per cent from the same period a year earlier, he said.

THAI’s nine months net profits recording from October 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007 also fell to 833 million baht ($24.5 million) last year’s from 2.16 billion baht and profit per share shrank to 4.90 baht from 6.17 baht.