Discover everything you need to know about Thailand transport – flights to Thailand, getting there by land or by sea, traveling around Thailand by plane, train, bus or ferry, and popular means of public transportation in the cities of Thailand.
Thailand Transport Options
Transport options for a trip to Thailand and for traveling around Thailand can be found with the help of this search form.
How to travel to Thailand?
Most of travelers choose to fly to Thailand as the country's airports are well connected with the rest of the world. Traveling overland from neighboring countries is also a popular option. It is also possible to enter the country via one of its harbours accepting cruise ships and other types of boats.
Flights to Thailand
Thailand has international flight connections with a vast number of destinations worldwide.
Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) is the biggest international airport located in Bangkok and used by long-haul and full-service carriers intensively.
Phuket Airport (HKT) might be your other option for long-haul flight but the variety of flights going directly to Phuket is lesser.
Suvarnabhumi and Phuket airports, as well as Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) and Bangkok’s second Don Mueang Airport (DMK) are well connected with many destinations in Asia so you can easily find transport to Thailand on your Southeast Asian journey.
If arriving from Southeast Asia, you have a good choice of low-cost flights and much wider selection of possible destinations in Thailand as low-cost carriers have additional international flights to the smaller international airports in Thailand, such as Krabi Airport (KBV), Hat Yai, Koh Samui, Chiang Rai, Surat Thani, Pattaya and Udon Thani.
Flight tickets on the most popular international routes can be booked here:
Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok
Flights from Singapore to Bangkok
Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Phuket
Flights from Singapore to Phuket
For more information, explore our guide to flights to Thailand.
Traveling to Thailand Overland
Thailand also has land connections with neighbouring Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Malaysia. There are over twenty international overland border crossings making arrival overland convenient.
There are several international bus routes that let you enter Thailand by land transport from the neighboring countries without the need to transfer:
Bus from Phnom Penh to Bangkok
Bus from Kuala Lumpur to Hat Yai
To cross the border from Malaysia, you can also take a direct van from Penang to Hat Yai.
It is also possible to take an international train to Thailand. Direct trains are available on these routes:
Train from Vientiane to Bangkok
Train from Padang Besar Malaysia to Bangkok
Check our guide to Traveling to Thailand overland if you are planning to arrive in Thailand or to leave it by land.
Traveling to Thailand by Sea
It is also possible to enter the country via one of its harbours accepting cruise ships and other types of boats.
In the high season, you can also take an international ferry from Langkawi in Malaysia to Koh Lipe in Thailand. Ferry schedule can be found and ferry tickets can be booked online here: Ferry from Langkawi to Koh Lipe.
How to travel around Thailand?
Transportation is one thing that you don’t need to worry about in Thailand. Public transport system in Thailand generally offers excellent value and you normally can choose from different means of transportation for reaching the most popular destinations in Thailand.
Thailand is also well-served by domestic airlines, offering numerous Thailand domestic flights between different parts of the country. The most popular routes for domestic flights in Thailand are:
Flights from Bangkok to Phuket
Flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Flights from Bangkok to Koh Samui
Buses are cheap and convenient with many routes to various destinations. There is a governmental company called 999 Bus and many private bus companies serving different routes around the country. The most popular bus routes in Thailand are:
The railway network connects four corners of the country and is a cheap, scenic but slow way to travel around Thailand. Train travel in Thailand can be quite an experience by itself. The most popular train routes in Thailand are:
Train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Train from Bangkok to Surat Thani (for ferry to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan)
Train from Bangkok to Chumphon (for ferry to Koh Tao)
Minivans and songthaews (pick-up trucks with two rows of seats) is the type of Thailand transport that can help you to reach even the most distant villages.
Large islands can be accessed by large ferries and smaller islands can be reached by speedboats and smaller boats.
The most popular ferry routes in Thailand are:
Ferry from Krabi to Koh Phi Phi
Ferry from Phuket to Koh Phi Phi
Ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Samui
Ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan
Ferry from Chumphon to Koh Tao
For more information, see our guide to Travelling Around Thailand.
How to travel around cities in Thailand?
Most of cities and larger towns in Thailand have some kind of local transport system. In largest cities it can be a network of buses but in most cases it will be just a network of songthaews, with set fares and routes but not rigid timetabling. Local transport system usually is complemented by various taxi services such as metered taxis, motorbike taxis and tuk-tuks.
For more information, see our guide to Local transportation in Thailand.
Thailand Transport Tickets
Transport tickets for different means of transportation in Thailand can be booked by this search form.