Travelling to Thailand

Tourists can reach Thailand by air, sea and land from different parts of the world. Bangkok, which is the gateway to Thailand, has two major international airports, namely Don Muang International Airport and the Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Major airlines from Europe, North America, Asia and Australia arrive at these two airports; while flights from Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong usually halt at the southern and northern airports of Phuket or Hat Yai and Chiang Mai, respectively.

Regular rail service also operates between Singapore and Bangkok with intermediary halts at Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth and other southern Thai towns. There are also overland entrances into Thailand, but are restricted to three major road crossings, namely Songkhla, Yala, and Narathiwat at the Malaysian Border.

Besides trains, buses also connect Thailand to neighbouring countries like Cambodia, Myanmar and Malaysia. Not only do buses provide international connectivity, but also connect different places like Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket within the country. Tourists can board the respective buses from different bus terminals like Mo Chit Station (Central, Northeast & North), Ekkamai Station (East) or Sai Tai Mai Station (South).  

Tourists can also take sea route; however, there is lack of regular steamship connections. The port of Khlong Toei in Bangkok harbours cargo ships with passenger facilities. Other cruise ships like Royal Viking, Pearl of Scandinavia and Cunard's Queen Elizabeth II visit the ports of Pattaya periodically.

Best way of reaching Thailand
The best way to reach Thailand from India is by flights, which fly from all the major metro cities to Bangkok. There are many international airlines operating between the airports of New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore as well as Varanasi and the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Airlines like Thai Airways, Air India and Cathay Pacific operate many direct airlines from India to Bangkok. The shortest flight from India to Bangkok is from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport of Kolkata.

Airlines like Thai Airways, Malaysian Airways, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, Jet Airways and Air India operate flights between Ahmedabad and Bangalore, and Phuket International Airport.

Travellers can also land directly at the Chiang Mai International Airport from cities like Ahmedabad and Bangalore. Tourists can also reach Bangkok via Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, by taking indirect flights.