Flights to Bangkok

Bangkok - vibrant, cosmopolitan city

Bangkok always delights. This cosmopolitan city is a treasure house of temples and palaces, canal life, bustling markets, authentic street food and a nightlife with something for all tastes.

Best time to visit Bangkok, attractions and weather tips

Bangkok is a popular destination at all times of the year, but the monsoon season from June to November can be very wet. A lively calendar of festivals begins with Wan Trut Chin in February. This celebrates the start of the New Year in the Chinese calendar, with the actual day varying from year to year. Also worth catching from the 13-15 April is Songkran, celebrating the Thai new year. The public holiday of Loi Krathong, or the Festival of Light, takes place in November. The exact date varies according to the date of the full moon.

What visitors need to know before arriving in Bangkok

US citizens do not need a Thai visa for stays of up to 30 days. Passports, however, must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry.

With sensible hygiene precautions, visitors should not encounter any health problems, but it is advisable to be vaccinated for Hepatitis A, Typhus, Tetanus, Diphtheria and Rabies. Anti-Malaria tablets may also be necessary. Travel advice can be obtained from a medical practitioner or the Thai embassy. 

Tips about arrival, transport and accommodation in Bangkok

Getting from the airport to the city is easy with frequent airport rail links, accessed directly from the terminal. The direct train from BKK, operated by Airport Link Express, is quick and costs around 100THB. The Airport Link City Line is a stopping train so takes longer, but is slightly cheaper for budget-conscious visitors. 

Once in the city public transport is frequent and cheap. The bus system can be confusing for newcomers, but getting around on the metro and with cabs is easy. Tuk-Tuks are a novel way of exploring Bangkok, but these tourist traps can be very expensive.

Accommodation is economical and starts from around 360THB.  Popular hotels can be found in Chinatown, as well as the Khao-San and Sukhumvit Road areas.

Airport Bangkok International Airport BKK

The major airport in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International is one of the largest airports in the world and is an important hub for global scheduled air traffic. Bangkok, the largest metropolitan area and the capital of Thailand is also the main transport hub of the country. Besides the international airport it also has another airport, the Bangkok-Don Mueang,which since 2006 has only been used for domestic flights, and is still used by certain airlines such as NOK Air or the One-Two-Go Airlines. Don Mueang is located about 25 km or 15 miles north of downtown, right on the Don Muenag Toll Way (national road 31) or about 38 km (23 miles) northwest of Suvarnabhumi.

The modern infrastructure of the airport terminal currently has 360 check-in desks to be found in a building measuring approximately 444 m length by 111 m in width. Thus Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, after Beijing and Hong Kong-International Chek Lap Kok, has the third largest single-handling terminal in the world. An additional feature is the 132.2 m high control tower that is currently the largest of its kind. The two parallel runways used for take- off and landing, which are 4000 and 370

• URL: Official website
• Parking: yes, paid parking, over 20,000 short-term and long-term spaces, including 5000 spaces in two five-storey car parks.
• Nearby cities: Samut Prakan (18 km), Phra Pradaeng (23 km), Bangkok (26 km), Thanyaburi (37 km), Pak Kret (37 km), Chon Buri (43 km), Khlong Luang (44 km), Si Racha (61 km), Nakhon Pathom (77 km)
• Directions by car: Bangkok-Chon Buri highway (Highway No. 7), Bangna Trat Highway, Buraphavithi Expressway, King Kaew Road.

Location

The airport is about 30 km (18 miles) east of the capital city district and is located in Racha Thewa, a village in the administrative district of Bang Phli, which in turn is part of the province and also the capital Samut Prakan. The airport is located at 15 km (9 miles) on the highway and is easy to reach on the highway 7 (Bangkok-Chon Buri) on which a toll must be paid or via the toll road Bang Na-Trat Expressway (national road 34).

A total of four express bus lines AE1-AE4 and 12 regular bus services (549 -559) operated by Bangkok Mass Transit (BMTA) connect the airport with the inner city district of the Thai capital. A further 12 buses also operate services to more distant provinces. The bus route 389 for example goes to the seaside resort of Pattaya about 120 km (85 miles) south-east; bus route 825 runs to the border town of Nong Khai on the Mekong about 600 km (320 miles) north-east; and the bus route 9907 goes to the provincial capital Chantaburi located about 230 km (130 miles) south-east.

From the spring of 2010 after four years of construction, the prestigious Suvarnabhumi Airport Link (Blue Line) will be in operation: an express train from the airport to the downtown district stations of Lat Krabang, Ban Thap Chang, Hua Mak, Rakhamhaeng, Makkasan, Ratchaprarop and Phaya Thai. The journey time from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to the City Air Terminal at the Makkasan Railway Station is expected to only last 15 minutes.