Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
east of Bangkok and 110km from Pattaya. The airport name is pronounced
sù·wan·ná·poom.
Don Muang Airport
(DMK; 0 2535 1111)
Bangkok's second airport is still used for
domestic flights operated by Nok Air and Orient Thai (formerly One-Two-Go). Be
aware of this when booking connecting flights on these airlines.
Phuket International Airport
(HKT; 0 7632 7230)
International Asian destina-
tions include Hong Kong, Singapore and Bali on Air Asia. Direct charter flights from
Europe are also available.
tional Asian destinations include Kuala Lumpur, Taipei and Singapore.
TICKETS
In some cases - when travelling to neighbouring countries or to domestic destina-
tions - it is still convenient to use a travel agent in Thailand. The amount of com-
mission an agent will charge often varies so shop around to gauge the discrepancy
in prices. Paying by credit card generally offers protection, because most card is-
suers provide refunds if you can prove you didn't get what you paid for. Agents who
accept only cash should hand over the tickets straightaway and not tell you to
'come back tomorrow'. After you've made a booking or paid your deposit, call the
airline and confirm that the booking was made.
Air fares during the high season (December to March) can be expensive.
Getting Around
AIR
Hopping around the country by air continues to be affordable. Most routes originate
from Bangkok, but Chiang Mai, Ko Samui and Phuket all have a few routes to other
Thai towns.
BOAT
The true Thai river transport is the
reu·a hăhng yow
(long-tail boat), so-called be-
cause the propeller is mounted at the end of a long drive shaft extending from the
engine.
