Private jet to Thailand

For European private flyers the country has two faces. Bangkok is a business capital with head offices, embassies and riverside hotels, eleven to thirteen hours from the main European hubs in a long-range jet. The rest of the traffic goes to the beaches: Phuket and Krabi on the Andaman Sea, Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand, and in the cool months Chiang Mai in the north, with its temples and mountain resorts.

An aircraft from abroad may land only at an airport with customs. Don Mueang, the older Bangkok airport, has private terminals with their own border control, Phuket has a private jet terminal, and the smaller fields set their own hours. Every arrival needs a landing permit and, at the busy airports, a slot. As a broker, we compare offers from European, Gulf and Asian operators for both versions of the trip: non-stop in an ultra long range jet, or cheaper with one fuel stop.

Tell us the city or island, the dates, the number of passengers and how long you stay.

Why fly privately to the kingdom

Flight times and the route from Europe

Block times in a Global 7500 without a stop, other types where named:

• Larnaca - Bangkok Don Mueang: 9:06 h, Istanbul - Bangkok Don Mueang: 9:54 h in a Falcon 8X
• Vienna - Bangkok Don Mueang: 10:48 h, Frankfurt - Chiang Mai: 10:50 h
• Munich - Koh Samui: 11:37 h, Zurich - Krabi: 11:58 h
• Geneva - Phuket: 12:09 h, London Farnborough - Bangkok Don Mueang: 12:12 h
• Paris Le Bourget - Pattaya U-Tapao: 12:11 h, Madrid - Bangkok Don Mueang: 12:55 h
• Challenger 650 with one fuel stop: 12:54 h from Vienna, 14:24 h from London Farnborough to Bangkok

Airspace closed to European operators north of the Black Sea pushes the route south over Turkey, the Middle East or Central Asia and then across India. That makes it about a tenth longer than the straight line. Chiang Mai in the north is the nearest Thai airport to Europe and the islands in the south are the furthest. A heavy jet such as the Challenger 650 lands once for fuel, usually in the Gulf, which adds about two hours. Westerly winds often make the flight back to Europe longer.

What a flight to Thailand costs

Prices cover the whole aircraft one way, from a jet positioned near the departure city; permit, slot, handling, parking, airport charges and taxes are extra. The time belongs to the first model priced in the row, and "1 stop" marks a fuel stop.

From the European hubs to six Thai airports

The cheapest way from the western and central hubs is the Challenger 650 with one stop: EUR 115,000 from Vienna to Bangkok and EUR 130,000 from London. Non-stop, the Gulfstream G550 costs EUR 135,000 from Vienna and EUR 155,000 from London. From Madrid, and from London to Phuket, it lands for fuel, so the Global 7500 is the non-stop choice there, at EUR 180,000 and EUR 175,000. Frankfurt to Chiang Mai costs about the same as Vienna to Bangkok, because the north lies nearer to Europe. Prices to Phuket match our page about private jets to Phuket.

From other European cities

From Istanbul and Athens the Falcon 8X is the most economical non-stop jet, and Warsaw is the cheapest of the central European cities. Stockholm is priced from Arlanda, because Bromma's runway is too short for these jets.

From the Gulf

Within Asia and inside the country

Regional light and midsize jets keep the sectors to Singapore, Hong Kong, the Maldives or Vietnam short:

Domestic sectors are flown by a Thai operator in a locally registered aircraft, never by the jet that came from abroad:

On a sector of ten hours or more flight time is most of the price, and a one-way charter also pays for the empty return. For a week or two we compare two one-way flights, the aircraft flying home in between, with parking in Thailand and crew hotels. Each European country taxes its own departures: France about EUR 2,100 per jet passenger, a distance-based rate (EUR 420 in Europe), Italy EUR 200 on flights from or to Italian airports at this distance and Austria EUR 12. Germany, Norway and the Netherlands (aircraft of 5.7 t or more) have their own departure taxes, Sweden has none, and the UK charges APD at the higher rate for private jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, which covers every jet in the European tables. Thai passenger and airport charges are listed in the quote.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

Three typical trips

Price per person

The aircraft is hired as a whole, so each seat costs less the more people travel:

Calculator

For a first figure, enter the route in the calculator and name the Thai airport in the comment; a consultant then confirms the slot, the stop if any and the final price.

Airports and business aviation terminals

Each airport below takes long-range jets except Koh Samui and Hua Hin, where the operator checks the type and the take-off weight. Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Samui are slot-coordinated: the slot is requested first and the landing permit follows. Krabi and U-Tapao are not coordinated, which makes them simpler.

A handler is required at every Thai airport and presents the passenger list and general declaration to the authorities. In March, April and May the heat in Bangkok often passes 35 °C, which limits the fuel a full aircraft can take for a non-stop flight to Europe; the operator plans the load on the day.

Which aircraft for the trip

Say how many passengers want to sleep, because cabin layouts differ within one type. Golf bags and dive gear fit in the hold of the large jets, but their weight counts on a non-stop flight. Further models are in the catalogue of ultra long range jets and of heavy jets.

To weigh a fuel stop against a non-stop jet with a consultant, leave a number for a call back.

When to fly: the year month by month

For most of the country the best months are November to February, and November and March balance weather, free slots and available aircraft best. The Gulf coast follows its own calendar: Koh Samui is wettest from mid-October to early December and is often the better choice from May to August, when the Andaman Sea is rough. Long Empty Legs between Europe and the kingdom appear mostly before Christmas and after New Year, while regional legs from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong run all through the dry season.

From the airports to the city and the islands

Empty Legs to and from Thailand

A family stays a week or two and the jet goes home, so many long-haul sectors are flown empty. Typical directions:

An Empty Leg needs the same permit and slot as any charter, so keep a window of a few days and write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and the dates.

Dogs and cats on a flight to Thailand

With complete papers a dog or cat enters without quarantine and flies in the cabin once the operator has approved it; the return to Europe takes more preparation than the outbound flight.

• Leaving the EU: an ISO microchip, the EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination given 21 days or more before the flight, for at most five animals.
• Thai import permit from the animal quarantine station at the airport of arrival, applied for about 30 days before the trip and valid for 60 days; the animal must be at least four months old.
• Dogs also need the usual core vaccines and cats the panleukopenia vaccine, plus a health certificate issued shortly before departure.
• The animal passes the quarantine station before customs. Stations do not work around the clock everywhere, and Phuket's is listed from 08:30 to 16:30, so with a pet the landing is planned within the station's hours.
• Pit bull terriers and American Staffordshire terriers are on the list of breeds Thailand does not admit.
• Thailand is not on the EU list of countries exempt from the rabies antibody test: the blood sample is taken at least 30 days after vaccination and three months before re-entry to the EU.

Entry rules and permits

Passengers clear immigration and customs at the first airport of landing, at Don Mueang inside the private terminal, and a change of arrival airport after approval means a new application. For a trip that continues south, see Malaysia and Bali.

Before departure

• Passports valid six months after arrival for every passenger, with a blank page.
• TDAC arrival card for each passenger within three days before landing.
• Names, dates of birth and passport numbers for the landing permit, at least a week ahead, more around holidays.
• The hotel or villa address, which decides the airport and the transfer.
• Number of suitcases, golf bags and dive sets for the weight calculation.
• Pet import permit, vaccinations and health certificate; no e-cigarettes in the luggage.

How to book

1. Send the departure city, dates, number of passengers and where in the country you are staying.
2. We choose the airport with you and compare a heavy jet with one stop against a non-stop long-range aircraft, and parking in Thailand against a return to Europe.
3. You receive two to four offers with operator, model, cabin photos, flight time and the price for the whole aircraft, with slot, parking and crew costs shown separately.
4. After the contract and payment, the operator requests the slot, then files the CAAT landing permit and the overflight permits; we book any domestic leg with a Thai operator.
5. A day before the flight the crew and the Thai handler send their phone numbers, and the car is booked to the private terminal.

Questions about private flights to Thailand

• • How much does a private jet to Thailand cost?

  • A flight from Europe starts at EUR 100,000 for the whole jet, one way. From the western and central hubs a Challenger 650 with one stop costs EUR 115,000 to EUR 135,000, and a non-stop Global 7500 from London to Bangkok EUR 170,000; permit, handling and taxes come on top.

• • Which airport should we choose in Bangkok?

  • Don Mueang, in the north of the city, has the private terminals and room to park for about a day. Suvarnabhumi suits a quick drop-off, after which the aircraft repositions.

• • Can we fly non-stop?

  • Yes, in a Global 7500 or Gulfstream G650 from every city in our tables, and in a Gulfstream G550 from most of them. A Challenger 650 or Falcon 900EX lands once on the way.

• • Can the same jet take us on to Koh Samui or Chiang Mai?

  • No. Thailand does not allow a foreign aircraft to carry passengers between two Thai airports, so a Thai operator flies those legs. The long-range jet can fly you straight to Samui, Krabi or Chiang Mai from Europe instead.

• • Is a visa needed for European passports?

  • Not for a tourist stay, but the permitted number of days has changed several times and we check it before each flight. For a business trip the rules are checked per passport, and every passenger fills in the TDAC arrival card online.

• • How early should we book?

  • The landing permit takes at least three working days and handlers plan a week, while the coordinated airports need a slot first. For Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year, book as soon as the dates are known.

• • Can the jet stay in Thailand during our holiday?

  • At Don Mueang for about a day, longer in a hangar or at U-Tapao; at Phuket with three working days' notice outside the peak. For a longer stay we also price the jet flying home and back.

• • Which months suit Thailand best?

  • November to February for most of the country, with the Andaman coast at its best from December. Samui is usually the better island from May to August, when the west coast has its monsoon.

• • Can we bring our dog?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a Thai import permit from the quarantine station at the arrival airport and the vaccinations listed above. For the return to the EU the dog needs a rabies antibody test, best done at home months before the trip.

• • Are there Empty Legs?

  • Yes, mostly long-range jets flying back to Europe before Christmas and heading east after New Year, and regional jets from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong in the dry season. Send your dates to empty-legs@jets.flights to hear about them.