With the THAI Platinum AMEX, if you buy a C/D or F/A tix, you can redeem an award tix for one of your nominees at 50% usual miles. The conditions are that the award tix must be in the same class, must depart together.

So I brought a C tix BKK-LHR//FRA/BKK for THB 125,000 (ouch), but have managed 2 C award tix for the teen kids, 1 at 50%, the other at usual miles.

So, it cost me 157,500 miles (which I pretty much have) and THB 125k for 3 biz tix BKK-LHR//FRA-BKK, which is a pretty good deal. Adding taxes for the 2 kid's tix bring 5the total THB cost to THB 140,000 or about USD 1335 (per pax). We are departing UK for FRA in a LCC just to avoid the outrageous APD applicable to UK departures in premium cabins.

For the same costs, I could have used by BDay Award for me, a regular award for 1 kid, and purchased a CD tix for the other kid. Exactly the same result.

My logic in buying the biz tix for me, was that I hoped to then upgrade that seat using my second gold upgrade, but THAI informed me that this was not possible as one of the conditions of the AMEX 50% Award 'deal' is that both pax must travel in the same class. Bit miserable if you ask me. Once everything is ticketed, I might try calling a THAI office iverseas (from BKK) and see if I can still do it! Of course, no guarantees of F availability by then....

The THAI Platnum AMEX deal is only for holders of that specific card, for residents (or expats working), and ex-BKK only.