Airline staff work humble side-gigs amid huge pay cuts

Working for a living: Kritee delivering coffee as a side job to supplement his income in Bangkok. — AP

Restrictions on air travel imposed on airlines in Thailand have brought a lot of turbulence into the lives of flight and cabin crews, but they’ve been trained to cope with emergencies.

More than 200 furloughed staff, facing reduced incomes from big pay cuts, have formed a car and motorbike delivery service, earning vital money and winning fame on the doorstep.

Just a month ago, Kritee Youngfuengmont was flying commercial jets. No longer hauling passengers, he now jockeys a Honda scooter around town to deliver food, documents and even hot cups of coffee.