It’s a shame that one of the very first things many people experience when they arrive in Thailand is a deluge of people at the airport trying to get you to use various kinds of transport into the city.  A lot of these people will approach you as you walk out of the arrivals hall and ask you where you are going or what hotel you will be staying at. Most of these people work for private “limousine” companies and charge around 900 Baht for a ride into the city in a sedan.

That’s almost 30 USD!
Today we are going to talk about the various ways to get from Suvarnabhumi airport into downtown Bangkok for a lot less.

If you are only in transit in Bangkok and want to stay near the airport, you should check out these hotels near Suvarnabhumi airport.  However if you are heading into the city, read on.
The cheapest and most convenient way to get into the city is by a public meter taxi. There are a number of taxi ranks just outside the arrivals hall, but the lines are always very long and you have to pay a 50 baht surcharge at the taxi desk. If you don’t mind waiting in line, one advantage of using the taxi rank is that the clerk at the desk will speak English and will tell the driver where you want to go as well as give you a slip of paper with the taxi’s registration number on it.
But that is what most people who are wise enough not to be fooled by the limousine scouts do.  What you really want to do is bypass the arrivals lounge altogether and head upstairs to the departures floor (4th floor) to grab a taxi with zero waiting time and also save yourself 50 Baht. If one of the limousine hawkers won’t leave you alone even after your polite refusals, a pointed “mai aow” will quickly dispatch them. (Don’t worry, it’s not rude, it just means “I don’t need”).

Once you get to the 4th floor, head out onto the street and walk across the first four lanes to the large traffic island in the middle, (there will be shuttle buses and private limousines parked in the first 4 lanes that you cross, but not much traffic.) This traffic island is where taxis drop off passengers for departures and there is nobody waiting for a taxi up here, so you will find one immediately.

Just tell the driver where you want to go by putting the word “bai” in front of the hotel name. For example, if you were going to the JW Marriott, you would say “Bai JW Marriott”. Also be sure that the driver uses the meter by saying “bert meter” if he doesn’t automatically put it on. Some taxi drivers will try to negotiate a price without the meter, but rest assured that you will come out second best in any deal that you strike. Also, it is actually illegal in Thailand for a taxi driver to carry passengers without the meter.
A trip into Bangkok will cost you about 250 Baht on the meter, including the 40 Baht for the expressway if you decide to take it, and I recommend that you do. If you are traveling at peak hour, it might go up to 350 Baht, but it shouldn’t be higher.
Another method which is cheaper but possibly not as convenient is the Airport Express bus. These run on 4 set routes and cost 150 Baht per person. If you know that the bus passes by your hotel and if you are traveling alone, this option may appeal to you. However if you are with friends or family members, it would end up being a lot more convenient and almost certainly cheaper per person of you just took the public metered taxis.
The four Airport Express routes are as follows:

AE1 Suvarnabhumi – Silom Rd (by expressway)

AE2 Suvarnabhumi – Khao San Rd (by expressway)

AE3 Suvarnabhumi – Central World via Sukhumvit Rd.

AE4 Suvarnabhumi – Hua Lamphong Train Station via Victory Monument.
The final and cheapest method of getting into Bangkok from Suvarnabhumi airport that we will discuss today is the public buses, that while cheaper at only 35 Baht per person (about USD1), it is the least convenient method.  To get to the public bus terminal you will need to catch a free shuttle bus from the arrivals floor. This will take you the short distance to the airport bus terminal. From there you can catch regular buses into Bangkok. Unless you are familiar with the routes, I would not recommend this option.

Below are the routes for the local buses:

549 Suvarnabhumi-Minburi-Bangkapi via Seri Thai Rd.

550 Suvarnabhumi-Happy Land

551 Suvarnabhumi-Victory Monument (by expressway)

552 Suvarnabhumi-Khlong Toei (Customs Dept.) via Onnut BTS station

552A Suvarnabhumi-Samut Prakarn (Praeksa Garage)

553 Suvarnabhumi-Samut Prakarn (Crocodile Farm Garage)

554 Suvarnabhumi-Rangsit via Don Mueang and Ram Indra Rd. (by expressway)

555 Suvarnabhumi-Rangsit via Don Mueang and Central Plaza LadPhrao (by expressway)

556 Suvarnabhumi-Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal via Democracy Monument and Khaosan Rd.(by expressway)

557 Suvarnabhumi-Wong Wian Yai (The Great Circle)

558 Suvarnabhumi-Central Plaza Rama II

559 Suvarnabhumi-Future Park Rangsit via Dream World (by expressway)

For many, the best time to travel to Thailand is when the weather is cooler during mid-October to early March. In fact, there are three main seasons. From November to February you’ll find cooler weather with temperatures ranging in the mid 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot season, April-May, will bring about temps in the mid 80s and 90s while the rainy season, June-October, brings the temperature down a notch but kicks up the humidity.

When it comes to finding reasonable fares to Thailand from the States, the best fares can be found during the peak season with the most expensive fares occurring during the months of July and August. Rates in November and May range from $1100 to $1400 per person to Bangkok while an August fare will cost almost $1000 more. Last minute trips will provide you excellent package rates with the hotel costing you next to nothing. However, by planning ahead you’ll likely save money on airfare and find appropriately priced tours and car rental rates.

What to do in Thailand during the Off Season

While Thailand during peak season can offer a variety of activities and excitement the off season is never boring. Thailand, known for its abundance of festivals, offers several interesting festivals including:

May – The Rocket Festival in Yasothon

Like it hot? This ancient festival occurs at the peak of heat in Thailand right before the rainy season begins. Hoping for a good crop and plenty of rain, the rocket festival celebrates the traditional beliefs in the supernatural powers that help promote the production of rice crops for the coming planting season.

June – Phi Ta Khon Festival Dan Sai district, Loei province

Like Halloween or the Mexican Day of the Dead, Thailand welcomes the spirit world with the Phi Ta Khon festival. Rooted in Buddhist mythology, the festival lasts for three days and offers a host of entertaining and spooky customs including masks, costumes, dancing, and of course tricks played on one another.

July – Candle Festival in Saraburi and Ubon Ratchathani

The candle festival is celebrated nationwide, however several locations take extra measures to make the festival colorful.

The candle festival is one of the most important events in the Buddhist religious calendar. Many young men take this celebration to become ordained as monks.

Whatever time of year you decide to visit Thailand, you will be welcomed by their warm hospitality and their amazing culture. While peak season and planning ahead will save you money on air fare and tours, off season travel offers you good package deals and the chance to take part in a variety of customs and festivals.

The cheapest months to travel to Thailand are in April, May,June, September and October. April is the hottest month of the year in Thailand, being in the center of the hot season (March-May) and sees little, if any rain.
May and June are the  “shoulder season” , with discount hotel rates throughout Thailand , less tourists and cheaper airfares. This time of year is just before the rainy season so there is still plenty of sunshine, with showers increasing as you get closer to July.

Once the monsoon season starts you can expect sporadic afternoon storms that may last 2 to 3 hours. Don’t let that stop you though because there is still plenty of sunshine to enjoy.

The peak tourist seasons are August, November, December, and February-March, and to a lesser extent, January and July, so expect to pay a premium during those periods. Temperature-wise, many people find February and March the most pleasant time to visit because it is not too hot and not too wet.

Average monthly temperatures

Temperatures are Fahrenheit/Celsius

One of the many ways to get cheap flights to BKK, Thailand that are mentioned on this website is to be a contrarian traveler, that is, do the opposite of what the masses are doing. In other words, fly in the opposite direction as the majority of the holiday makers are. The wisdom in this tip being that while everybody else is flying back home out of Thailand, the outward bound flights would be full, while the inward bound flights would be relatively uncongested, therefore the airlines would be willing to sell the seats for less.

But what if you really wanted to travel at a time that was a peak departure time in your country? Do you have to just bite the bullet and pay the jacked-up fares that the airlines demand because they know that people will pay it?

In Japan, from where I have done a lot of traveling, there are three major holiday periods throughout the year; Golden Week in May, Obon in August and the New Year holiday. Airfares double for departures from Japan during these times. The same thing happens all around the world, though perhaps not to the extent that they do it in Japan. All countries have peak departure times that supply and demand allows the airlines to charge a lot more for.

The good news is that with a bit of forward planning and thought, you can get around these outrageous price hikes.
As you may or may not know, each airline in each country determines their fares from the point of departure. What this means is that the return date does not have as big an influence on the fare as the departure date.

How can you take advantage of this?
If you are planning on making more than one trip in a year to Thailand (or any destination for that matter), you may like to try this technique.
Buy a return ticket to Bangkok with a return date far in the future, a one year open ticket is good for this. Bangkok is well known as currently the cheapest place in the world to buy airline tickets. In Bangkok, buy a new return ticket to your original point of departure with the return portion back to Bangkok on your desired peak date. This way you will be using the return portion of your second ticket to head to Thailand during the expensive peak season, but you will only be paying the normal fare in Bangkok. The airline selling the ticket in Bangkok doesn’t care that the return date is in a peak period coming the other way and they won’t be looking to make a profit on the extra demand. When you return to your original point of departure, use the return portion of your original open ticket. Just make sure that you book and confirm your flights dates well in advance.
This may sound a little complicated so let’s take a look at an example:

Let’s say it’s April and I am planning on taking a holiday in Thailand over the Christmas/New Year break. Unless I can leave in the first half of December, I’m going to have to pay a premium. As it turns out, I’ll be in Bangkok in May for a week for business or whatever. Instead of buying a 7 day return ticket, I buy a one year open with a return date of January 10. Its 9 months away so I don’t have any trouble getting a seat. I use　this ticket to get to Bangkok.
Once I am in Bangkok, I put my ticket in my suitcase and buy a new ticket leaving Bangkok to my original departure point, departing in a week with a return date of December 27th.
Since the outbound section of my new ticket is in May, departing Bangkok- a decidedly non-peak period- and this being Bangkok, I get a great price. Come December, I use the return portion of my second ticket which I bought in Bangkok to go to Thailand and return at the end of my holiday with the return portion of my originally purchased ticket.
One year open tickets are a little more expensive than your regular 7- 30 day open tickets, however you should look into this option and you may find substantial savings doing it this way than paying the inflated peak time airfares that the airlines charge.

With the proliferation of low cost airlines in Asia over recent years, the availability of discounted airfares throughout the region has drastically increased. In a market once dominated by large airlines such as Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific, the list of new low cost carriers in Asia seems to be growing by the week, with little signs of slowing down. In fact, with the region’s growing middle class and their increasing desire to travel, forecasts for demand for discounted airfares from low cost carriers are only increasing. According to the Official Airline Guide’s website , the number of low cost flights operating in the Asia-Pacific region has grown to 60,000 a year, from 3,900 six years ago.

The growth in low cost airlines has indeed provided huge benefits for travelers. One example of some of the huge discounts now available, Air Asia sells some round trip tickets on the popular Singapore-Bangkok route for as little as USD150, compared with USD500 or more with Singapore Airlines.

Explosive growth, and varying levels or regulations in certain countries, have raised concerns about the safety of some of these new low cost carriers.

While many of the budget carriers have new fleets, some of the airlines buy old planes that have been sitting around, unused for years. Duct tape has been observed holding together seats and parts of a bathroom together on a Nok Air flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai last year.

Shortly before the One-Two-Go Airlines crash in Phuket in September 2007  which killed more than 80 passengers, other airlines landing at the airport warned air-traffic controllers about the dangerously wet and windy conditions. Controllers did not cancel or delay the landing and the jet skidded beyond the runway and burst into flames.

Phuket Air has also come under scrutiny for its safety record after overshooting a runway on a landing in Eastern Thailand. In 2006 Phuket Air was banned from flying into the European Union after an incident in Britain in 2005 when passengers reportedly saw fuel leaking from one of its aircraft before takeoff, and refused to fly on it. (The ban was removed in 2007)

Thailand isn’t the only country with concerns about its discount carriers. Indonesia has a much worse record and in fact EVERY airline from Indonesia is banned from the European Union. The EU maintains a blacklist of airlines:
http://www.ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/pdf/list_en.pdf

Indonesia also takes a rap on the International Aviation Safety Assessments Program of the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). Indonesia is ranked a category 2, which is defined by the FAA website as:

Does Not Comply with ICAO Standards: The Federal Aviation Administration assessed this country’s civil aviation authority (CAA) and determined that it does not provide safety oversight of its air carrier operators in accordance with the minimum safety oversight standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Indonesia shares this list with countries such as The Congo, Belize, Haiti, Honduras, Kiribati, Zimbabwe and Uruguay.