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GETTING
TO THAILAND
Thailand has always been a popular destination and often
the starting point for exploration of the rest of Southeast Asia,
China and further points East. Thailand is served by a total of
over 80 international airlines landing mainly in Bangkok,
but also an increasing number of international flights arrive
in Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai. Domestic airports have also
grown in number and all have connecting flights to Bangkok and
at least one other destination.
Thailand borders Myanmar to the north and west, Laos to the north, Cambodia to the east and Malaysia to the south; all of these countries have various land and water access points where the visitor may enter or leave Thailand. The train is also a convenient mode of transport, with connections from Chiang Mai in the north to Bangkok and then south across the border to Malaysia and on to Singapore.
By air
Thailand has four international airports, one each in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hat
Yai, but Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport is the country’s major gateway. It is connected by daily flights to Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia aboard the world’s major airlines. International flights, mostly from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Hong Kong, land on a less regular basis at Phuket and Hat Yai in southern Thailand, and Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. Charter flights from Europe and the Far East now arrive more frequently in Bangkok,
Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and at U-Tapao for Pattaya.
By train
The only train access to Thailand is from Malaysia, but there are no through routes by ordinary trains, although connections are possible from both the east and west coasts of Malaysia. On the west coast visitors must get off the Kereta Api Tanah Melayu
(KTM) train (Malaysian Railway) at the border of Padang Besar and transfer to a train operated by the State Railway of Thailand which then goes on towards Hat
Yai, terminating in Bangkok. The traveling time from Hat Yai to Bangkok is about 16 hours. It is not recommended that travelers try to get same-day express train connections from the KTM to the State Railway of Thailand. An overnight stay
in Butterworth is advised.
From the east coast travelers may take a bus or share-taxi from Kota Bharu to the border town of Rantau Panjang (about 20 minutes): A short walk across the border, conduct immigration formalities and then take a tuk-tuk to the train station in Sungai Kolok where trains will continue onto Hat Yai for connections onto Bangkok.
There is one direct through train – the Eastern & Oriental Express that runs from Singapore to Bangkok. An exotically comfortable, luxurious way to travel, it takes 41 hours to complete
the journey, including a two-hour stopover in Butterworth
with a tour of Penang; and visit to the River Kwai with a boat excursion along the river. Fares start at US$1,200 for a standard double compartment. Frequency of the trains depends on the time of year – between two and five per month.
By road
There are three road crossings on the Thai-Malaysian border in
Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat. A modern
highway system from these points carries travelers
onto other regions. The governments of Thailand, Laos, China and Myanmar have agreed to
the construction of a four-nation ring road through all four countries, this should be complete by 2007.
Several border crossings between Thailand and Myanmar are open to day-trippers or for short excursions
in the vicinity. Further to the south, in Thailand’s Mae Chan
District, it is possible to cross the border almost everywhere,
with a local and reliable guide.
A legal border crossing between Cambodia and Thailand is at
Aranyaprathet, opposite the Cambodian town of Poi Pet.
The border is open from 8 am to 6 pm daily. Visitors have
to take a taxi or motorbike a further four kilometers from
the crossing to reach Aranya Prathet itself, where they can
catch buses and trains onward to Bangkok and other points
in northeastern Thailand.
The link between Thailand and Laos is by a 1,174-metre-long
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge across the Mekong River near Nong
Khai, opened in 1994. The bridge spans a section
of the river between Ban Chommani (Thailand) and Tha Na Leng (Laos).
By sea
Travel by sea is possible from Malaysia and ferry crossings from China, Laos and Cambodia are also available. From Malaysia it is possible to take a
long tail boat between Satun (right down in the southwest corner of Thailand) and Kuala
Perlis; boats cross quite regularly. There is also a ferry service from
Gangway to Satun and
Phuket, although timetables and frequency may depend upon the season. There is a small car and passenger ferry between Kota Bharu and Ban Taba on the east coast of Thailand. Thailand can also be reached from Laos by crossing the Mekong River by ferry, although only at certain permitted border points: Nakhon Phanom (opposite Tha
Khaek), Chiang Kho (opposite Huai Xai) and Mukdahan
(opposite Sawannakhet).
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