Most foreign owners reach Thailand through Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, which has long-haul flights from Europe, the Gulf and Australia, and then take a short domestic flight or a car. Phuket is the exception: it has its own long-haul services, so owners there can often avoid Bangkok altogether. How easily you can reach a property affects how often you use it and who will rent it, so access belongs in the buying decision.
Bangkok: the main gateway
Suvarnabhumi (BKK) handled 62.9 million passengers in 2025 and is about 25 km from central Bangkok. Don Mueang (DMK), in the north of the city, is used by low-cost carriers for domestic flights.
Long-haul routes into Suvarnabhumi in November 2026 include:
| From | Airlines |
|---|---|
| London | British Airways, EVA Air, Norse Atlantic (seasonal) |
| Paris | Air France |
| Frankfurt and Munich | Condor, Lufthansa |
| Zurich and Vienna | Swiss, Austrian, EVA Air |
| Amsterdam | KLM, EVA Air |
| Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo | Finnair, SAS (seasonal), Norse Atlantic (seasonal) |
| Rome | ITA Airways |
| Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh | Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Riyadh Air |
| Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth | Qantas, Jetstar |
| Vancouver | Air Canada |
| Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo | Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, ANA, Japan Airlines |
Thai Airways flies many of these routes too. Routes change each season, so confirm before you plan around one. Our buyer guides by country cover the journey from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.
Phuket: long-haul without Bangkok
Phuket International (HKT) handled 17.5 million passengers in 2025. It is at the north end of the island, 32 km from Phuket Town and closest to Mai Khao, Layan and Bang Tao.
Long-haul and hub services include Emirates from Dubai, Etihad from Abu Dhabi, Turkish Airlines from Istanbul, Air France from Paris, and Aeroflot from Moscow and other Russian cities. Winter brings seasonal flights from London with TUI and Virgin Atlantic, from Zurich with Edelweiss, and from Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen. Regional links include Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Shanghai, Delhi and Tel Aviv.
For a European or Gulf-based owner of a home in Phuket, that means one connection or none.
The other airports
- Koh Samui (USM). Built, owned and operated by Bangkok Airways, which flies to both Bangkok airports, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Krabi, U-Tapao, Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. Scoot also serves Singapore. With one dominant carrier there is little fare competition. See Koh Samui.
- Krabi (KBV). 3.05 million passengers in 2025. Domestic flights to both Bangkok airports, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui. Regional flights to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Dubai, Sharjah and Delhi, with seasonal winter services from Abu Dhabi, Helsinki and Copenhagen. See Krabi.
- Chiang Mai (CNX). 9.5 million passengers in 2025. Flights to both Bangkok airports, Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui and Hua Hin. International routes are mainly regional, including Taipei, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, with Etihad to Abu Dhabi. See Chiang Mai.
- U-Tapao (UTP), for Pattaya. About 45 minutes south of the city. It handled 370,210 passengers in the year to September 2024, and Bangkok Airways flies to Koh Samui and Phuket. First-phase expansion began in November 2025.
- Hua Hin (HHQ). 63,230 passengers in 2025. Thai AirAsia flies to Chiang Mai and EZY Airlines to Phuket, Hat Yai and Surat Thani. There were no international flights as of July 2026.
By road and rail
Pattaya is about 120 km from Suvarnabhumi on Motorway 7, and the airport bus takes about 1.5 hours.
Hua Hin is 199 km from Bangkok by road. Allow about three hours from the airport, and longer on holiday weekends. The train took 3 hours 33 minutes on the 2019 timetable, and double-tracking of the southern line was planned to shorten that.
A high-speed railway linking Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao is under construction and has been delayed. Do not rely on an opening date.
Ferries
Koh Samui is linked to the mainland by ferries from Don Sak, in Surat Thani province. Raja Ferry crosses to Lipa Noi pier in 1.5 hours for a passenger fare of THB 210, and also sells combined tickets from Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat airports. Seatran sails from Don Sak to Nathon.
Passenger boats in Thailand have sunk or collided, sometimes with fatalities. Overloading, poor maintenance and rough monsoon seas are the usual causes. Use the larger operators and avoid crossings in bad weather. Our climate and seasons guide shows when each coast is rough.
Driving
Traffic drives on the left. Visitors should carry their national licence and the 1968 version of the International Driving Permit, obtained before travel. Residents can apply for a Thai licence using their home licence, as explained in banking and daily life. Check that your insurance covers the vehicle you are driving, because driving without a valid licence can invalidate a policy.
Motorcycles are the serious risk. Thailand ranks among the deadliest countries in the world for motorcycle fatalities. Helmets are a legal requirement, and many scooters hired out in tourist areas are unregistered. For a family, a car is the sensible choice. Purchase and fuel costs are in cost of living.
Access and the choice of area
Count the journey door to door. A villa near Phuket airport can be reached from Dubai or Istanbul in one flight. A villa in Hua Hin means a long-haul flight and about three hours by road. Neither is wrong, but they suit different owners and different tenants. The area matchmaker lets you weight access against everything else.
