How to Get to Thailand - Getting to Thailand and Suvarnabhumi Airport

Getting to Thailand
- By air
- By road
- By train
- By Sea

Arriving in Thailand
Getting around Thailand

Thailand has always been a popular destination and is frequently the starting point for discovering Southeast Asia, China and points further East. All leading international airlines have direct flights to Bangkok, and an increasing number fly to Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai international airports. Domestic airports have also grown in number, all with connecting flights to Bangkok and at least one other destination. Myanmar borders Thailand to the west, Laos to the north, Cambodia to the east and Malaysia to the south; all have land and water access points where visitors can enter or leave Thailand. The train is also a convenient means of travel, with connections from Chiang Mai in the North to Bangkok then southward across the border to Malaysia and on to Singapore.

Bangkok is Thailand’s major gateway. Most visitors arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport because it is directly connected to Europe, Asia, North America and Australia by daily flights aboard the world’s major airlines. Further international flights, mainly from Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, land at Phuket and Hat Yai International Airports in the south and Chiang Mai in the North.

From Malaysia: It is possible to enter Thailand through a number of crossings in Songkhla, Yala, and Narathiwat provinces.

• From Lao P.D.R.: it is possible to enter Thailand through Nong Khai, Chiang Saen, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan and Chong Mek.
• From Cambodia: it is possible to enter Thailand through Aranyaprathet in Sa Kaeo province and Ko Kong in Trat province.
• From Myanmar: you can enter Thailand through Mae Sai and Mae Sot.

There are no regular steamship connections to Thailand. Cargo ships calling at Bangkok’s Khlong Toei Port sometimes have passenger cabin facilities. Cruise Ships call at Laem Chabang Port (roughly 2 hours south of Bangkok) from Vietnam and Singapore. Contact a travel agent for details.

There are no regular steamship connections to Thailand, though cargo ships calling at Bangkok’s Khlong Toei Port may occasionally have passenger facilities. Cruise liners make Thailand a port of call, and can berth at one of two modern deep-sea ports, Laem Chabang between Bangkok and Pattaya, and the island resort of Phuket. Both can accommodate liners of 20,000 tons or more, while the Khlong Toei is more suitable for smaller vessels with a gross tonnage of between 12,000 and 16,000.

Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand’s premier international air travel gateway and a regional centre for aviation, links all aspects of air travel and transport. It also supports the country’s travel and tourism development, as befits its auspicious name, “Suvarnabhumi.” The name, which means “Golden Land” was bestowed upon it by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Suvarnabhumi Airport was built on 3,100 hectares of land in the Bang Phli District of Samut Prakan Province, about 25 kilometres east of Bangkok. The main access road is an elevated 10-lane highway connected to the outer ring road network. It also connects directly to the Bangkok-Chon Buri (Pattaya) Motorway. The beach resort of Pattaya is an hour and a half’s drive away.

Designed by Murphy/Jahn Architects, the airport has the world’s tallest control tower (132.2 metres), and the second largest single building as an airport terminal (563,000 square metres), slightly smaller than Hong Kong International Airport’s 570,000 square metres.

It replaces the old Don Muang International Airport which was Asia’s fourth busiest airport for passenger traffic in 2005 (Tokyo, Beijing and Hong Kong were the first three).

Built at an estimated cost 155 billion baht, Suvarnabhumi has two parallel runways and two parallel taxiways accommodating simultaneous departures and arrivals. It has a total of 120 parking bays, five of them capable of handling the Airbus A380. The main passenger terminal building can handle 76 flight operations an hour, and 45 million passengers and three million tonnes of cargo per year.

Above the future underground rail link station and in front of the passenger terminal building is the 612-room Novotel Hotel, a member of the Accor Group. Between the hotel and the terminal building are two five-storey car parks with a combined capacity for 5,000 cars.

Plans for runways and two terminals capable of handling up to 100 million passengers and 6.4 million tonnes of cargo a year are on the drawing board. The second phase of airport expansion, the construction of a satellite building south of the main terminal, should begin three years from now.

Rail networks: A 26.6-km high-speed rail link from the airport to the City Airport Terminal in Makkasan is currently being built, with November 2007 as its planned completion date. The City Airport Terminal network is connected to BTS Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) Sukhumvit Line and the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Blue Line at Phaya Thai and Phetchaburi stations. The total journey to the airport will take approximately 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) provides a suburban commuter train service between Hua Takhe, the nearest station to Suvarnabhumi on the East line, and the northern suburb of Rangsit through Bangkok and the old Don Muang Airport. The train also connects with the BTS at Phaya Thai station and with MRT at Phetchaburi station. Passengers pay a flat fare of 30 baht.

A shuttle bus service linking the airport with Hua Takhe railway station is provided by the Bangkok Mass Trasit Authority (BMTA) for 15 baht. The train service is less popular than the bus service as it requires a shuttle bus connection, and it will be phased out when the Airport Express Link is completed.

Departure tax: International travellers departing the airport must pay a 500-baht tax levied by the airport operator, Airports of Thailand. The tax is not included in the price of airline tickets. It is paid to airport staff before queuing for immigration processing. On February 1, 2007, the international departure tax will be raised to 700 baht.

Airport Hotel: Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel is a five minute walk from the airport along a 300-metre underground walkway. The hotel has 612 rooms, four restaurants, two bars, a swimming pool, business centre, fitness centre and health spa.