Anywhere Thailand

Getting There From UK and Europe It's a 12-hour flight to Bangkok (BKK) – more if there's a connection involved – and what with the 7-hour time difference, you should basically reckon on a full day for the outward journey. Check the seat pitch (legroom), and factor in a day or two to get over the jetlag. Coming back, it effectively takes 5+ hours, and the jetlag means you fall asleep before supper and wake up before dawn. There are direct flights from LHR with Thai Airways (11.50 daily and 21.35 daily on Mon/Wed/Sat), British Airways (22.00 daily), and Qantas (22.15 daily) – the latter two codeshare. Fares start around ฃ500 (low season) - ฃ600 (high season), including about ฃ50 in taxes. Cheaper flights are available with the Taiwanese carrier Eva Air, 5 times a week (Tue, Thur, Sat, Sun) from LHR, starting around ฃ400. There are also connecting flights with KLM (LHR via Amsterdam), Lufthansa (LHR via Frankfurt), Alitalia (LHR via Rome), Emirates (LHR or LGW via Dubai), Air France (LHR via Paris), Finnair (LHR via Helsinki), Swiss International (LHR or LCY via Zurich), Kuwait Airways (LHR via Kuwait), Etihad Airways (LGW via Abu Dhabi), Turkish Airlines (LHR via Istanbul), Austrian / Lauda Air (LHR via Vienna to Bangkok or Phuket), Qatar Airways (LHR via Doha), Gulf Air (LHR via Abu Dhabi), Cathay Pacific (LHR via Hong Kong), and Malaysia Airlines (LHR via Kuala Lumpur). Some of these are a little cheaper than the direct flights (from ฃ400 in low season, ฃ500 in high season) but can take anything from 14 to 20 hours each way. But you may be able to use Air Miles, or make something of the stopover en route. These flights are also useful for those starting in mainland Europe, or wanting to fly from a regional UK airport to a European hub (e.g. Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rome) and continue to Bangkok from there. All flights are at their busiest and most expensive over Christmas and New Year, with July and August also popular. All of these flights can be booked through the airlines' websites, through an online consolidator like Expedia, Opodo or Traveljungle, or through a traditional travel agent. Note that some online consolidators exclude Eva Air, with the notable exception of Traveljungle, which trawls airlines and agencies alike, to come up with a wider (though not always up-to-date) 'catch'. There are also charter flights to Phuket (HKT) in high season (Nov-March), though this usually restricts you to a 7- or 14-night stay, and includes accommodation in a charmless, mainstream hotel. Of course, if you find a really good deal, you could take the package and ditch the accommodation; or use the first night for post-flight recovery, then branch out on your own. There is a new charter airline - Thomson Fly - which operates November - April from Gatwick/Manchester-London - Bangkok (2 flights per week, 1 flight per destination). From USA and Canada From North America there is now a direct flight from New York (JFK) to Bangkok with Thai Airways. For other cities there are dozens of options entailing just one stop en route. From the west coast it is normal to fly via Asia (e.g. L.A. or Vancouver via Tokyo, Taipei or Hong Kong), taking 18-20 hours. From the east coast you fly via Europe (e.g. New York or Montreal via Paris, Zurich, Amsterdam or London), taking 20-22 hours. Airlines include Air Canada, Air France, Cathay Pacific, China Air Lines, Delta Airlines, Finnair, Japan Airlines, KLM / Northwest, Swiss International, Thai Airways and United. Check the seat pitch (legroom), and factor in a day or two to get over the jetlag. Flights are at their busiest and most expensive over Christmas and New Year, with July and August also popular. From Asia In addition to Thai Airways' and other national carriers' networks… Orient Thai (also branded as 'one-two-go') flies direct from Hong Kong to Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai daily; and from Singapore and South Korea to Bangkok daily or near-daily. Bangkok Airways flies from Angkor Wat, Guilin, Hangzhou, Male (Maldives), Nanjing, Phnom Penh, Xian and Yangon to Bangkok; and from KL and Singapore direct to Samui. Angel Airlines flies from Hong Kong to Bangkok (1/day) and Phuket (2/week), and from Macau to Bangkok (2/week). Arrivals - new Bangkok airport The new Bangkok International Airport (Suvarnabhumi Airport) opened in September 2006. All domestic and international flights now operate from this airport and the old (Don Muang) airport will be closed to scheduled flights. If you are in any doubt, you should confirm with your airline which airport your flight will fly into / out of. The new airport is 30km east of the city centre and has an express rail link (a spur line of SRT's highspeed Huay-Kwang - Lad Krabang - Chonburi route), plus 6 bus routes operated by BMTA. There are also direct buses to Pattaya. There is talk of extending the Skytrain from Onnui to the new airport, but no decision has been reached. For details see the airport website. Have you considered offsetting the carbon emissions of your flight? We support all measures, however small, to help protect our environment. Read our environmental policy Top Getting Around By Air Internal flights are quite cheap and can save a lot of time and hassle compared to bus or train journeys. Not all of them go via Bangkok. For example, Samui to Phuket takes $20 and 5 hours by bus and ferry, or $40 and ฝ hour by plane (and the formalities don't take long). Fares are basically fixed (within each airline and category), though some airlines are cheaper than others on the same route (the list below goes roughly from most expensive to cheapest). Thai Airways has the largest internal network, covering the whole country except Samui, which is monopolised by Bangkok Airways. Flights link Bangkok with Chiang Mai (7-8/day), Chiang Rai (5/day), Hat Yai (5/day), Krabi (4/day), Phuket (11-12/day), Surat Thani (2/day), Trang (2/day), Ubon Ratchathani (3/day), Udon Thani (3/day). Some of these cities are also linked by direct flights to each other. Bangkok Airways, as co-owner of Samui's dinky little airport, has the monopoly on flights to that island, which it links with Bangkok (13-14/day), Chiang Mai (1/day via Bangkok), Krabi (4/week), Pattaya (U Tapao, 1/day), Phuket (2/day), Singapore (2/day), Trat (Koh Chang, 2/day via Bangkok) … as well as other non-hub routes like Sukhothai to Chiang Mai (1/day). Air Andaman is the third-largest domestic carrier, with hubs in Phuket & Chiang Mai. Its website is currently unavailable but guidebook and cached information suggests that, from those hubs and Bangkok (using a code-share with Thai), it serves Chumphon, Krabi, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and possibly other places besides. Orient Thai (also branded as 'one-two-go') flies from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (3/day), Chiang Rai (1/day), Hat Yai (2/day), Phuket (1/day), Udon Thani (1/day). Phuket Air is the only carrier serving west-coast Ranong , with a daily flight to Bangkok, as well as flights to Krabi, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Mae Sot, Udon Thani. By Train Thailand has a reasonably wide, fairly slow and very cheap rail network, which is fun if you are not in a hurry. The most popular route is the overnight sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, which is an atmospheric way to arrive in the north – though of course you can see more from the (slower) day-trains. Other useful routes include the line south from Bangkok past Hua Hin and Pranburi to Chumphon (for Koh Tao); and indeed on to Surat Thani (for Koh Samui) and Nakhon Si Thammarat, if you don't mind spending a full day on board. The best part is sharing your carriage with friendly local people, including monks, schoolkids and a constant flow of people selling snacks and drinks: sticky rice cooked in bamboo stems, packaged rice+seafood stir-fries, fresh pineapple and mango. There's no air-con, but the breeze is usually enough, and frankly, for a few dollars per long-distance journey, what do you expect? By Bus There's a good network of inter-city bus routes, but they are rather slow and can be uncomfortable for long journeys. Some are air-conditioned and cost a bit more (but still not much). On the whole, the cost of private car transfers is so reasonable that it is amply worth the extra for the added comfort and flexibility in timing. On more popular country routes, you'll find minibuses, usually with air-con, which cost a little more money and take a little less time than the buses, though they can get cramped when full. Within towns and cities You'll see songthaews – pick-up vans with two benches in the back, which give them their name – in most towns. Most operate along fixed routes at about 50 THB for a short journey (2-3 times a bus fare), but they are also available for private hire (as a taxi) if you want. Fix your fare before setting off. Standard taxis are also available in Bangkok and the larger cities, colour-coded according to whether they have air-con or not. Another option – certainly more colourful, but the charm does wear off – is the three-wheeled tuk-tuk, named after the sputter of its little two-stroke engine. These are only available on a private hire (taxi) basis, and often cost more than an ordinary taxi, unless you bargain hard. And they're not particularly comfy – you and your luggage swing perilously around, dodging vehicles and pedestrian, but not evading the traffic fumes. But you have to try one at least once – and some hotels have their own, genteel, chauffeur-driven tuk-tuk for a gentle baptism. Finally, if you're desperate, you can hop onto a passing motorbike-taxi, whose drivers wear brightly-coloured and numbered bib-jackets. They are supposed to supply a helmet for their passenger, but don't always do so. Generally, if you can avoid road travel, do. It's rarely very quick or comfy in Thailand. In Bangkok, there is the Skytrain and the new Metro, in addition to longtails and canal-boats – see our city guide for details. By Boat Among the islands and the coastal areas such as Krabi, the easiest way to get about is by boat, either by (shared or private) 'longtail boat', or on a larger ferry-type service. Longtails are everywhere, and are the aquatic equivalent of buses or taxis – that is, you can hire them for private charter (150-250 THB / hour), or catch one on a fixed route (typically 30-100 THB from one beach to the next). They use loud diesel engines taken out of trucks and vans, and the driver sits on a box to steer the long rudder handle. Be prepared to wade / jump in, as there may be no ladder or landing pier. Unless it's an established route, we recommend fixing your fare before setting off. Ferries ply between the major islands and ports, including Phuket - Koh Phi Phi – Ban Laem Kruat (for Krabi) – Koh Lanta on the west (Andaman) coast; and Koh Samui (Nathon or Big Buddha) - Koh Phangan (Thong Sala or Hat Rin) - Koh Tao - Chumphon (mainland) on the east (Gulf of Thailand) coast. See the regional descriptions and hotel (Getting There) pages for more details. Top