How To Reach Thailand

Make your way to rustic Thailand with its beautiful beaches and ancient Buddhist temples, all infused with an aura of tropical adventures. Being a tourist hot-spot, Thailand is accessible throughout the year and is fairly well connected with the world. For those planning a trip to this southeast Asian country, here's a detailed guide on how to reach Thailand. 

There are direct flights from major cities of India to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Bangkok has two international airports- Don Mueang International Airport (oldest operating airport in Asia) and Suvarnabhumi Airport. The direct flights from Kolkata, New Delhi, Varanasi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chennai land at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The fastest flights are from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport in Kolkata, with a travel time of less than three hours. The Suvarnabhumi Airport is located 30 kilometers east of Bangkok.

Some of the airlines you can avail are Thai Airways, Jet Airways, Air India, and Cathay Pacific. There are also direct flights to Udoni Thani, Phuket, Hat Yai and Chiang Mai, but with stopovers in Singapore, Malaysia or Hong Kong.

There are no railway routes from India to Thailand. The only international train from Kuala Lumpur connects to Padang Besar station at the Thailand-Malaysia border.

There is excellent road connectivity to Thailand from India via the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway. The road trip begins from Moreh (Manipur) India and is an approximately 3,200 km drive to Mae Sot in Thailand. It can well be a week before you reach Thailand via road. However, it is advisable not to take road trips in certain months of the year due to unpredictable weather. The best time to travel via road is between November to February.

The road trip can be made on a bike as well as in a four-wheeler. Certain precautions before embarking on a road trip are:

• Ensure that you have an International Driving Permit (IDP). 

• Carry your valid Driver’s license. You will need to show this to the concerned authorities at every checkpoint.

• Carry all the necessary vehicle documents, even if you are renting one.

• As it is a week long journey from India, carry medicines, lots of drinking water and snacks. Take vaccinations as diseases like yellow fever and malaria are prevalent in forest areas of Thailand.

• Carry a guidebook so that you can converse with the locals of both the countries.

• It is advisable to carry enough loose cash in both Myanmar Kat or Thai Baht. You can also carry US dollars as that currency is accepted in both the countries.

On a road trip to Thailand, you will can witness beautiful landscapes and it will certainly be a journey to remember. It is a feast for the eyes driving past the plains and hills of Myanmar before entering the beautiful country of Thailand. The trip will be a treat for photography enthusiasts, so don’t forget to pack your cameras.