Thailand Flight Deals

Bangkok is usually cheaper for long-haul flights, because far more international routes and airlines serve it. Phuket has its own international airport and direct flights from some regions, but it often costs more from further afield. If Phuket is your main stop, price a flight straight there against a cheaper fare to Bangkok plus a short domestic hop, counting the extra time and baggage fees.

Most long-haul flights use Suvarnabhumi (BKK), Bangkok's main international airport, east of the city and linked by the Airport Rail Link. Don Mueang (DMK), north of the city, is the hub for budget airlines on domestic and regional routes. The two are an hour or more apart, so check which one each ticket uses and leave plenty of time if you connect between them.

Suvarnabhumi, for most visitors. It has far more international flights than anywhere closer, and Pattaya is roughly two hours away by road, by bus from the airport, private car or a Grab or Bolt ride. U-Tapao, about 40 minutes south of Pattaya, handles some domestic and regional flights and is handy if a route fits. Don Mueang works too, but it adds a crossing of Bangkok.

No. Compare the sale fare with what the same route usually costs on your dates, then add what it leaves out: checked bags, seat selection and meals on budget airlines, and the transfer if it lands at the other Bangkok airport. An arrival in the small hours can also cost you an extra hotel night. A fare is only a deal once all of that is counted.

As early as you can, ideally as soon as your dates are fixed. Fares climb as Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year and Songkran approach, and the cheapest seats go first. Songkran also sends much of Bangkok home to the provinces, so domestic flights, trains and buses fill up across the country that week. Price your flight home at the same time, because departures just after the holidays are often expensive too.

It's safest to have one. Thai immigration can ask visa-exempt visitors for proof of onward travel, and airlines sometimes check at check-in, because they must fly you back if you're refused entry. A return or an onward ticket out of Thailand within your permitted stay avoids the question. If you're flying one way, carry a booked onward flight and check the entry rules for your passport before you leave.

Often, if it's all on one ticket. A single booking with a stop protects you: if the first flight is late, the airline rebooks you onto the next one. Two separate cheap tickets don't, so a delay can strand you and cost you a new fare, and you may have to collect and re-check your bags. If you do self-transfer, leave a long gap between flights and count the extra hours against the saving.

Usually only for a fee, and the cheapest fares often can't be changed at all. Basic and promotional fares, especially on budget airlines, tend to be non-changeable and non-refundable, while flexible fares cost more upfront. Nightlife trips have a habit of being extended, so if you might stay longer, compare the price of a flexible ticket with a change fee plus the fare difference before you book.