In order to fulfill the increasing demands for air transportation, Bangkok Airways officially began its operations in 1986 as the country's first privately-owned domestic airline; initially offering scheduled flights from Bangkok to Krabi, Korat, and Surin. Presently, Bangkok Airways has obtained permits to operate scheduled flights over 20 different major routes—covering nearly all major resort destinations in Thailand. Additionally, the airline has also obtained permits to fly internationally to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Bangladesh and Maldives.