Thailand Domestic Flights Information
When it comes to Thailand domestic flights, travelers always have questions. Some want to know what the best international airports are to fly out of and others with adventure in their eyes want to know exactly where the airlines can take them...
When in Thailand, it doesn't hurt to familiarize yourself with the basics about Thai airports and flights. Right now, the 3 main flight operators in Thailand are Thai Air Asia, One-Two-Go and Nok Air. (It's possible that others will spring up too - the airline industry seems to change regularly!) These airlines service Thailand's major domestic destinations as well as Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Penang), Singapore, Macau and Hanoi.
Nok Air flies from Bangkok (KrungThep) to domestic destinations such as Phuket, Hat Yai, Chiang Mai and Udon Thani. One-Two-Go covers some of the main domestic routes within Thailand with fixed price tickets.
Bangkok on the other hand, as the capital city of Thailand, is a bit of a traveler's hub and low cost flights mecca. Not only do you get to have a memorable vacation in the 'city of lights' but you get ample opportunity to snap up discount airfares, especially in the major tourist hangouts such as Khao San Road.
Travelers from around the globe go to Bangkok in search of cheap flights and discount international airfares. Bangkok also has an abundance of beautiful temples, museums, underground and above ground railway systems, art galleries and department stores. Hold on. Did someone just say shopping? Shopping in Bangkok is awesome!
But back to Thailand domestic flights...
OK so if you're looking for cheap flights to Bangkok or cheap flights in general, then one way is to travel in the off season and grab your fare then. Another way is to look at the local newspapers and local media for airline promotions. These are gold to snap up. Sometimes you can find trips from the south of Thailand to Bangkok for $20 or thereabouts. I've seen it happen more than once. If you hear of one, grab it quickly. They go fast!
With Bangkok vying to become one of the major 'flight' hubs in South East Asia, more and more people are flying through Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (Bangkok's newest international airport). If by any chance you get caught here with hours to wait for your flight, then consider some of the short day tours, specifically created for transit passengers.
Check when you get into the airport but to encourage flight passengers to take the day tours (about 4 hours each), participants will be exempted from the 700 Baht airport tax. Look for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) offices to confirm this and see where the tours will take you.
Lastly, don't be afraid to explore Bangkok and some of the Thailand domestic flights you can get. You'd be amazed how far you can travel domestically for so little. You can basically travel around the whole country for a couple of thousand baht! And the airline travel is high quality too - and beats sitting on a train, van or bus for 8 hours anyday! But of course, it's up to you what method of transport you take. The most important thing is to have yourself a great Thai adventure!