The Hua Hin Rail Station at Night
Before or after your dental holiday, you may want to take an excursion from Bangkok and explore the North or South of Thailand.
By Air
Some of the most popular airlinks in Thailand are Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Chaing Rai in the North and Bangkok to Phuket in the South, flights in either direction take about an hour
Last minute flights within Thailand are fairly easy to arrange and can be made online within a matter of minutes. The main last minute carriers in Thailand are Air Asia and Nok Air. Nok Air has a quick and easy online reservation system and covers the major and many regional airports in Thailand. And Air Asia has more destinations throughout Asia and beyond.
When booking online, with Air Asia you will need a credit card. Nok Air gives you the option to book online and pay for the ticket at any 7-11 in Thailand – if you do not have a credit card handy – they will send the booking number in a SMS to your mobile and just use that number to pay for the ticket at the 7-11 counter, now that’s convenient.
The discount carriers also have kiosks at the airports where you can buy tickets for future or same day flights. Thailand’s national airline, Thai Airways, also flies the most popular domestic routes and internationally.
A quick search today showed same day tickets from Bangkok to Phuket for around $99 one-way on Nok Air for example – they are less expensive when purchased in advance.
By Train
For the more adventurous there is the train. There are overnight sleeper trains heading north and south daily. The Bangkok – Chiang Mai Train takes about 11 hours to make the journey – the overnight journey costs around $25 – $45. The more modern trains have electric outlets in the compartment so you can charge your mobile or watch a movie on computer, but only some trains. So make sure to charge electronics before the trip. The train staff are quite friendly and make their way up and down the train regularly in case you need any food or refreshments.
You can buy dinner on the train, the food is a mostly Thai fare with non-spicy and spicier entrees – there are also vegetarian dishes – dinner costs around $5. Breakfast is served as well, Thai breakfast (soup) and American style breakfast.
Train tickets are available at the main train station in Bangkok. Your hotel’s travel desk can usually also arrange tickets.
Useful links
