Thailand has two Bangkok airports, four LCCs that look identical but aren't, and one festival that doubles every domestic fare for ten days. Here's how to navigate AirPaz from anywhere in Thailand — or to anywhere in Thailand — without paying tourist tax.
Suvarnabhumi (BKK) is the modern hub — Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, all full-service international. Don Mueang (DMK) is the original Bangkok airport, now home to LCC operations: Thai AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air, Thai VietJet. They are 50km apart and connected only by a free inter-airport shuttle that takes 60–90 minutes in normal traffic.
The single biggest AirPaz mistake we see Thai-bound travellers make is booking an arrival at DMK and a connecting flight from BKK two hours later. The shuttle alone can eat that buffer. If your itinerary mixes airports, allow at least 4 hours between flights, and book a taxi backup via Grab or Bolt as a safety net.
The default. Dominant on Bangkok–Phuket, Bangkok–Chiang Mai, Bangkok–Krabi. Same baggage rules as the AirAsia group — 7kg cabin default, pay for checked. On AirPaz, look for the "Premium Flex" fare class if you might need to change dates.
Yellow planes with the cute beaks. Strong on secondary cities — Bangkok to Nan, Chumphon, Mae Hong Son. Often the only operator on niche routes. Bag policy is reasonable: 15kg checked included on most fares.
Same operational profile as the Indonesian parent — cheap but volatile schedules. Good for flexible travellers, frustrating for tight connections.
The Vietnamese carrier's Thai operation. Aggressive pricing on Bangkok–Phuket and Bangkok–Chiang Mai. Strict 7kg cabin enforcement at the gate.
"Asia's boutique airline." Owns the runway at Samui — if you want to fly to Koh Samui from Bangkok, PG is usually the only direct option, and the price reflects that monopoly. The included lounge access (yes, even on economy) almost justifies the fare.
Songkran (Thai New Year, 13–15 April) is the largest annual domestic travel event. Fares from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and Hat Yai triple in the week before. Outbound to Bangkok from those cities triples the week after. The pattern is rigid because it's tied to the national holiday calendar.
U-Tapao (UTP) is Pattaya's underused airport. AirAsia and Thai VietJet operate limited international routes from here — direct flights from KL, Singapore, Bali and Phuket. If your destination is Pattaya or eastern Thailand, UTP saves you the 2-hour BKK–Pattaya road transfer. AirPaz lists UTP under "Pattaya (UTP)" — make sure to search by city, not airport code, to surface it.
| Route | Cheapest day | Typical RT (THB) | Best carrier |
|---|---|---|---|
| BKK/DMK → HKT (Phuket) | Tue | 1,800–3,400 | Thai AirAsia / Thai VietJet |
| BKK/DMK → CNX (Chiang Mai) | Wed | 1,400–2,800 | Thai AirAsia / Nok Air |
| BKK → USM (Koh Samui) | Tue | 4,200–7,800 | Bangkok Airways |
| BKK/DMK → KBV (Krabi) | Wed | 1,900–3,200 | Thai AirAsia |
| DMK → SIN | Tue | 3,800–6,400 | Scoot / Thai AirAsia |
| DMK → DPS (Bali) | Wed | 5,400–9,200 | Thai AirAsia / AirAsia |
Q1–Q2 2026 indicative round-trip pricing. Source: airpaz.com snapshots.
AirPaz prices in THB for Thailand-based searchers. Domestic credit/debit cards work, as does True Money Wallet via QR (occasional integration during promo windows). Thai banks rarely add FX fees on THB transactions, so paying in baht is the default — no clever currency switching needed for domestic travel.
For international fares departing Thailand, USD pricing sometimes undercuts THB by a percentage point. If your card has zero FX fees, test both before paying.
AirPaz will let you book a 90-minute transfer at BKK between two flights. The airport itself recommends 90 minutes as the minimum legal connection time. In practice, here's how that actually plays out: BKK is large, immigration queues during morning peaks can run 45 minutes, and a single delayed inbound flight cascades. We recommend 2.5 hours minimum for international-to-international transfers at BKK, and 3 hours minimum if you're transferring between DMK and BKK on separate tickets.
Most ASEAN passports get 30-day visa exemption on arrival in Thailand. The exemption applies whether you arrive at BKK, DMK, HKT, CNX or any international airport. Don't accept "visa fast track" upsells inside the AirPaz checkout — they're not a Thai government service, and the regular queue is free.
Agoda is Thai-owned and historically dominant in Thailand. For Bangkok 4–5 star hotels, Agoda usually has the deepest inventory and best loyalty. For beach resorts in Krabi, Koh Lanta and Koh Phangan, AirPaz prices are within 5% of Agoda and sometimes win on cancellation flexibility. For budget guesthouses in Chiang Mai's Old City, AirPaz often misses the smallest properties — book direct via the guesthouse's Facebook Page if you want the lowest rate.
