Getting to Thailand

Thailand

Travel by Air

Flights to Thailand are available from several national and international carriers. The national airline is Thai (www.thaiairways.com), which flies from dozens of international locations. Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com) offer international flights to and from destinations within Asia.

Flights are cheapest from April to June; from August to November flights are slightly more expensive; December to March and July are the most expensive times to fly.

Travel by Rail

The State Railway of Thailand operates train services (tel: 1690, in Thailand only; www.railway.co.th) between Bangkok and Butterworth in Malaysia. There are also daily connections elsewhere in Malaysia, Singapore and the borders with Cambodia (at Aranyaprathet) and Laos (at Nong Khai). A line also links the Thai Railway system with Bahn Thanaleng, just across the Mekong river in Laos.

The opulent Eastern and Oriental Express (www.belmond.com/eastern-and-oriental-express) runs directly between Bangkok and Singapore, but is expensive.

Driving to Thailand

Road passage into Thailand is possible through Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos. You can find coach operators at major bus stations, but minivan services (such as between Chiang Mai in Thailand and Vientiane in Laos) are often faster.

Getting to Thailand by boat

The main port is Bangkok (www.bkp.port.co.th). Note – there are very limited passenger services available.

River routes

There are passenger crossings between Thailand and Laos at several points along the Mekong River. There is a slow boat along the Mekong River, from the Thai town of Chian Saen to Jinghong in China’s Yunnan Province.