Latest press report on this subject:

The Associated Press
Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2000; 10:00 a.m. EST

BANGKOK, Thailand –– Thai Airways International said Wednesday it is considering leaving the Star Alliance of linked airlines to join a rival group.

The move apparently was prompted by the imminent membership in the Star Alliance of stronger regional rival Singapore Airlines.

"We have asked our financial adviser to consider whether it is better to stay with the Star Alliance or whether it is better to leave," said Thamnoon Wanglee, president of Thai Airways.

The decision to review Star membership came after figures showed Singapore Airlines cost Thai Airways $10 million last year by taking over some non-alliance code-sharing agreements with Lufthansa on flights from Europe, a Thai Airways official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Singapore Airlines is scheduled to join Star in April. The group also includes United Airlines, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Scandinavian Airlines System and Varig of Brazil.

Thailand's national carrier could jump to the rival Oneworld alliance, which doesn't yet have a Southeast Asian member, analysts told Dow Jones Newswires.

Qantas Airways and British Airways, founding members of Oneworld, are interested in Bangkok as a hub for routes to Australia, said Chin Lim, an airline analyst at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in Singapore.

Oneworld also includes Cathay Pacific, Canadian Airlines, American Airlines, Finnair and Spain's Iberia Airlines. Ireland's Aer Lingus and Lan Chile have agreed to join later this year.