Gulf Air has announced the appointment of Sun Aviation Co Ltd, as its new general sales agency for Thailand. The airline has decided to close its country office to cut costs, believing the GSA option is cheaper. Gulf Air first appointed Sun Aviation as its passenger sales agent last January, but has now upgraded it to a full GSA since August, that includes passenger  and cargo traffic. The official launch of its new GSA office took place last week preside by Counsellor at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in Thailand, His Excellency Khalil Yaqoob Al-Khayat. Gulf Air  has been operating flights to Thailand for 36 years, but has largely been overshadowed by newer Middle East carriers that dominate long-haul routes from Thailand to Europe and the Middle East. It chopped and changed between running its own office and hiring a general sales agency. Far East was its f GSA until 2006 when the airline decided it was cheaper to operate its own office from rented space in Ploenchit Road. Sun Aviation is also the GSA for South African Airways. It operates from an office on  the 20th Floor, Vorawat Building, 849 Silom Rd., Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 From ttrweekly