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Thailand Family Vacations |  |
Domestic Flights in Thailand
Thailand is now home to several low cost airlines which provide service from Bangkok to most major cities in Thailand. This makes domestic flights in Thailand very economical. Your vacation budget should be able to handle a few trips by plane in Thailand. With the exception of a few flights out of Chiang Mai, all domestic flights in Thailand originate from Bangkok.
Thailand's new international airport, Suvarnabhumi, opened in September 2006. It was designed to handle all of the current and future needs of air passengers in Thailand. Due to some unexpected problems, Suvarnabhumi is not able to handle all of the current air traffic which passes through Bangkok. Therefore, the old Bangkok International Airport, Don Muang, has been reopened to handle a majority of the domestic flights in Thailand.
Thai airlines
Thai air is the national carrier for Thailand. They operate many domestic and international flights each day. Most Thai airplanes are big enough for international travel. This makes a Thai airplane very roomy and they are rarely overbooked when operating a domestic route. Thai airlines are a member of the Star Alliance. Their frequent flier program is called Royal Orchid Plus. You can receive Royal Orchid Plus points for flights with Thai air as well as stays at partner hotels, car rentals (Avis, Budget, and Hertz), and various credit card partners.
Thai Airlines domestic flights have two classes, economy and Royal Silk (Thai's name for business class). Royal Silk has wider seats and more legroom. Both classes receive a snack or meal with drink, depending on the length of flight and time of day. Thai airplanes are stocked with copies of Thai and English newspapers and an assortment of magazines for reading during the flight.
Thai Air operates domestic flights from Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi Airports. Flights out of Suvarnabhumi have a three digit code, such as TG213. Flights out of Don Muang have a four digit code, such as TG1213.
If your travel budget is not limited, I recommend using Thai Air for your domestic flights in Thailand. The service is great and tickets can be changed with no additional fee. Most of the budget airlines charge heavy fees if you need to change your travel plans after your ticket is booked.
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Air Asia
Air Asia is a low cost airline based in Malaysia. It operates about 200 flights a day to cities throughout Southeast Asia and is rapidly expanding its operations. Thai Air Asia is a joint venture with Air Asia which operates many domestic flights within Thailand. All Thai Air Asia flights originate from and return to Suvarnabhumi airport.
Air Asia was the first Asian airline to implement a total e-ticket system. Bookings can be made online. Ticket prices are based on the number seats still available on the plane, ie the first bookings made for a specific flight will be cheaper than later bookings. In addition to the scalable ticket prices, there is an additional fee added to the cost of each leg of your journey. This surcharge was added in recent years due to the increase in fuel costs.
As a budget or low cost airline, Air Asia offer no frills service. Snacks and reading material are not included in the price of the ticket. Seating is limited to one class and it is not possible to reserve a specific seat in advance. Although, it is now possible to pay an extra fee for express boarding. With express boarding, you can board the plane before passengers who have not purchased that option, which means you will have a greater selection of seats when you get on the plane. A Thai Air Asia plane feels more like a bus in some ways. It provides an economical way to fly throughout Thailand, but the service is not great.
Nok Air
Nok Air is a low cost carrier which is owned in part by Thai Airlines. They offer flights to most major cities in Thailand and have recently begun their first international flight to Hanoi, Vietnam. Nok Air operates the majority of their flights out of Don Muang airport.
Nok is my preferred low cost airline in Thailand. They offer both economy and business class seating. They also allow passengers to reserve specific seats in advance, so there is no need to rush to the boarding gate in order to be first in line to board the plane. Business class, or Nok Plus, provides a wider seat and includes a snack and drink, a copy of a daily newspaper, and the ability to change your ticket without a fee.
Nok Air provides online booking. They recently updated their website and are now able to accept international credit cards as payment through the website. If you wait until you are in Thailand to book your domestic flights with Nok, they provide a variety of options for payment. You can book your ticket online and pay with cash at most 7-11 stores throughout Thailand.
Bangkok Airways
Bangkok Airways is a regional airline based in Bangkok, Thailand. It is was Thailands first privately owned domestic airline. It operates scheduled domestic services and international services to Cambodia, China (including Hong Kong), Japan, Laos, Myanmar and Singapore. Its main base is Suvarnabhumi Airport, with privately held airports in Ko Samui, Sukhothai Province and Trat Province.
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