The national airline is Thai Airways International (website: www.thaiairways.com).
Bangkok is the main entry point into Thailand, as well as being a major access point for travel to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam.

From Bangkok to London is 12 hours; to Manila is three hours; to Singapore is two hours 15 minutes and to Sydney is nine hours.

Bangkok International (BKK) (Don Muang) (website: www.airportthai.co.th) is 24km (15 miles) north of the city (travel time - 40 to 60 minutes). To/from the airport: There are four airport bus routes to the city and buses leave from each terminal every 20 minutes from 0500 to 0030. There are also three regular public bus routes and four air-conditioned bus routes to Bangkok railways station, the southern and eastern bus terminals and to the city centre. Trains also run to the city centre (from 0606-2007). Limousines are available at all hours. Taxis are also available. There is a direct coach service to Pattaya at 0900, 1200 and 1900, returning at 0630, 1400 and 1830. Facilities: Left luggage, first aid, chemist, duty free shop, banks/bureaux de change, restaurant, bar and snack bars post office, car hire, accommodation reservations, Internet and telephone rental.
Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX), 15km (9 miles) southwest of the city (travel time - 20 minutes). To/from the airport: Taxi and limousine services are available to the city centre. Facilities: Car hire, banks/bureaux de change, restaurant, shops and bar.
Phuket International Airport (HKT) is 35km (22 miles) northwest of Phuket. To/from the airport: Taxis and limousines are available to the city centre. Facilities: Left luggage, duty free shops, first aid, banks, bureau de change, post office, restaurant and snack bars, car hire and tourist information.
Hat Yai International (HDY) has recently been opened; so far it is only used for flights to Asian destinations and domestic flights. The nearest town is Songkhla (approximately 20km/12.5 miles away). To/from the airport: Taxis, bus and train services are available. Facilities: Duty free shop, restaurant, car hire, tourist information and post office.
Suvarnabhumi International Airport (SBI) is 25 km (14 miles) east of Bangkok's city centre. The construction of the new airport is almost complete. The airport will open for full commercial operations between June and October 2006. When it opens, it will replace Don Muang airport. To/from the airport: A city-link-connection is under construction.

THB500 for all international departures. Transit passengers and children under two years of age are exempt.

Main port: Bangkok. Limited passenger services are available. There are passenger crossings between Thailand and Laos at several points along the Mekong river. Cruise lines calling at Thailand include Orient Lines, Princess, Radisson Seven Seas and Seabourn.

Through trains operate to Kuala Lumpur, with daily connections to Singapore, Malaysia and to the borders with Cambodia (at Aranyaprathet) and Laos (at Nong Khai). The opulent Eastern and Oriental Express runs directly from Bangkok to Singapore but it is expensive.

There are international roads from Cambodia, Malaysia and Laos. Roads into Myanmar are not officially open to tourist traffic.

Thai Airways International (TG) (website: www.thaiairways.com) runs services to all major towns, using a total of 22 airports.
Bangkok Airways (PG) (website: www.bangkokair.com) flies seven additional routes. Discounts are available in off-peak seasons and during special promotional periods.
PB Air and Phuket Air also fly domestically.

THB50 for all domestic flights, THB400 for domestic flights from Samui Airport. Children under two years are exempt.

Thailand has, depending on the season, up to 1600km (1000 miles) of navigable inland waterway. Services operate between Thanon Tok and Nonthaburi, and luxury cruises are available on the Oriental Queen. Long-tailed motorboats and taxi-boat ferries also operate. Strong competition on all of the major routes ensures that fares are kept low. Reduced services operate during the monsoon season from May through to October along the east coast and Andaman coast, and from November until January on the Gulf coast. The more remote spots become inaccessible in these periods.

The excellent railway network extends over 4600km (2860 miles), linking all major towns with the exception of Phuket. It is run by State Railways of Thailand. It has recently been extended to serve centres on the east coast. There are four main trunk routes to the northern, eastern, southern and northeastern regions, and also a line serving Thon Buri, River Kwai Bridge and Nam Tok. There are several daily services on each route, with air-conditioned, sleeping and restaurant cars on the principal trains. The journeys are leisurely and comfortable, and travelling by train is certainly one of the best ways to get around the country. The Southern Line Express stops at Surat Thani for those who wish to continue by bus and ferry to the islands off the east coast. Most railway timetables are published in English.

There is a reasonable road network comprising many highways and 52,000km (32,300 miles) of national and provincial roads. All major roads are paved. Traffic drives on the left. Bus: There are inter-urban routes to all provinces. Fares are very cheap and buses very crowded. Privately owned air-conditioned buses (seats bookable) are comfortable and moderately priced. Taxi: There are plenty of taxis, which operate day and night. There are three types: taxi-meter; taxis which are unmetered; and 3-wheeled, open-air tuk-tuks. Where there is no meter, fares should be agreed before departure. It is sometimes possible to agree fares for longer trips even in taxi-meters. It is also possible to take a motorbike taxi. These are especially useful in Bangkok's horrendous rush-hour traffic. Taxi drivers do not always carry change, so it is important to have the correct amount. Passengers are also expected to pay for any motorway tolls. Car hire: Available in all main cities. Passports may be held as a form of deposit. Motorcycle hire is also available, especially on the larger islands. Documentation: International Driving Permit required. IDPs are valid for three months, after which a Thai driving licence is required.

Conventional bus services in Bangkok are operated by the Government Mass Transit Authority, but there are also extensive private minibus operations and passenger-carrying trucks. Premium fares are charged for air-conditioned (white and blue buses) and express buses. The ordinary buses are red or blue and charge a flat rate regardless of distance travelled. Fares are generally low and are collected by conductors. In Bangkok, taxis displaying the TAXI-METER sign are metered. Samlors or tuk-tuks are three wheeled taxis without a meter; the fare must be negotiated before the journey commences. These are cheaper than taxis but are only suitable for short distances. There are express, rapid and ordinary motorboat services on the Chao Phraya river between Nanthaburi pier to the north of Bangkok to Wat Ratcha Singkhon pier in southern Bangkok. The express boats, marked with a yellow flag, are more expensive than the rapid orange flag flying boats. The ordinary flagless boats are the cheapest. Bus maps of the city are available, on arrival, from the tourist office at Don Muang Airport. The Skytrain (BTS), an elevated mass transit system in Bangkok, runs from 0600-0000. The Metro (MRT) runs from Hua Lamphang to Bang Sue with 16 stations inbetween. Trains leave every three to five minutes between 0600 and 0000.

The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Bangkok to other major cities/towns in Thailand.

	Air	Road	Rail
Chiang Mai	1.00	10.00	14.00
Pattaya	-	3.00	-
Phuket	1.20	10.45	-
Samui	1.20	13.00	14.00