As the national carrier of the Kingdom of Thailand, the history of Thai Airways International can be traced back as early as the 1950s. In 1951, the Thai Government purchased the shares of three private airlines, merged them into one, and named it Thai Airways Company (abbreviated as TAC). Later, in 1960, allied with Scandinavian Airlines System, the government started business in the international market with the name Thai Airways International, allowing TAC to operate domestic routes as an independent company. The two companies merged in the 1980s, which marks a turning point for the development of Thai Airways International.