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We love having friends over from the US, and for years I answered the “how do we get there?” question in probably the least helpful way possible. I would open a booking site, find the cheapest flight that did not include some ridiculous layover, send the link, and say, “There you go. Can’t wait to see you.”
I feel slightly guilty about that now. I have seen enough people at Suvarnabhumi Airport who looked absolutely ruined to question my approach. And it is not just their well-being that suffers; their plans get ruined as well. Once, one of my friends arrived in the morning, went to the hotel for a “quick nap”, woke up after 9 pm, ate convenience-store snacks for dinner, then stayed awake until sunrise. Most of the next day was wasted too.
So these days, when someone asks me about flights to Bangkok, I ask more questions than they probably expected. Can you sleep on a plane? How much do you hate sitting still? Do you have any plans for the first day? Because getting to Bangkok is one thing. Arriving in any state to enjoy it is another.
How to Choose a Flight That Suits Your Travel Style
So, bad news. There are no nonstop flights from the US to Bangkok, so a layover is part of the journey whether you like it or not. Still, you can choose where to have it. If you leave from the West Coast, you can fly to Bangkok with EVA Air and stop in Taipei, or, should you choose ANA or Cathay Pacific, you will have a layover in Tokyo or Hong Kong. When flying from the East Coast, you will likely fly with Qatar Airways or Emirates, so your stop will be in Doha or Dubai.
When you are choosing between one-stop flights, the most important thing to pay attention to, in my opinion, is the duration of each leg of the trip. This can make or break your journey and how you feel after the flight. You can have a very long flight first, followed by a short regional flight, or two segments of about equal length.
To advise someone on a wise choice, I have to understand what kind of traveller you are: the sleeper or the active traveller. If you are able to sleep properly on planes, you may be perfectly happy getting one enormous flight out of the way and finishing with a short hop. Singapore Airlines’ Los Angeles–Singapore–Bangkok route is a good example: the long leg is roughly 16–17 hours, followed by about a 2.5-hour flight to Bangkok. If you can sleep for a decent chunk of that first sector, I think this option works best for you.
If you are more of an active traveller and rarely sleep on board for long, a flight of 16 hours can feel much more challenging. Instead, you probably prefer to read, watch films, get up, stretch, and consider the layover as an opportunity to take a break from sitting down. In that case, I would recommend going with ANA via Tokyo: LAX–Haneda takes about 11 hours, followed by roughly 6 hours from Haneda to Bangkok.
Also, do not forget to check the layover duration. I wouldn’t want a 55-minute sprint through an unfamiliar airport after crossing the ocean, and I certainly do not want six dead hours either. Two to three hours is usually the sweet spot.
How to Survive a Long Flight and Enjoy It
Once you know which itinerary suits you, then I would think about the cabin. And yes, I am going to make the case for business class here, since we are talking about arriving fresh and rested. Take that Los Angeles–Singapore–Bangkok route. Seventeen-ish hours is a very long time to spend in one seat. You can do it; I have done plenty of long-haul economy, but it doesn’t really translate to “arriving well”.
Say you pick this route in Singapore Airlines business class. You board the Airbus A350 and enter a cabin where seats are in a 1-2-1 layout, so no one has to climb over anyone during the flight. The seat itself is 28 inches wide and converts into a 78-inch flat bed. You receive bed linen, a duvet, and a pillow, and on a flight this long you can also request an amenity kit. If you’re a sleeper, you have a pretty good chance of getting some proper rest. Sweet dreams.
If you tend to stay awake, there is so much space for you. You can change position, stretch out, get up without climbing over someone. And there is an entertainment system with a large screen and tons of content that you can enjoy in comfort. They even provide you with noise-cancelling headphones. If I knew I was going to be awake for most of those 17 hours, I would appreciate having the extra room and films and series to watch almost as much as the bed.
And I want to highlight the food in business class. A proper sit-down meal instead of a tray on your lap is another small thing that helps you arrive feeling human.
Then there is the lounge access that comes with your business class ticket. Remember that you will be stopping somewhere on your way to Bangkok? This gives you a chance to spend the layover somewhere more comfortable, have something to eat or drink and, in some airports, take a shower. Singapore Airlines’ SilverKris Business Class lounge at Changi Airport has shower facilities, for example. After crossing the Pacific, taking a shower is a no-brainer for me.
When you are comparing business class flights to Bangkok, all the different routes, aircraft, and layover times can be a lot to sort through. You can use services like BusinessClass.com to make it easier. They can connect you with an agent who will take note of your preferences, from airlines to layover times, and find flight options that fit them.
What Arrival at Suvarnabhumi Looks Like
After a long journey, you finally land in Bangkok. Suvarnabhumi is a huge airport, so you may still have a long walk ahead before you reach the arrivals hall. If your aircraft parks at SAT-1, you will first need to take the automated train to the main terminal before immigration, baggage claim, and customs. The train ride itself is only a few minutes, but after twenty hours of travel it can feel like one more leg of the journey.
Before you reach immigration, you also need a Thailand Digital Arrival Card, or TDAC. It’s the online arrival form required for non-Thai nationals, asking for details like your passport number, flight, and accommodation in Thailand. You can submit it any time in the three days before you land, right up to your arrival day itself, at tdac.immigration.go.th. There are kiosks at Suvarnabhumi if you land without it, but the queue there is one of the more common places I’ve seen people lose twenty or thirty minutes. I’d much rather get it out of the way before I fly.
Immigration is the part I would never try to predict. Sometimes the queue moves quickly, while other times you can be standing there for a while. Once you are through, one useful business-class perk is priority handling for your baggage. One less wait to worry about.
Eventually you collect your bags, clear customs, and exit the airport. Then the Bangkok heat hits you, and your first day in the city officially begins. How should you spend it?
How to Spend the First 24 Hours
This is where I used to make the second mistake: treating arrival day as a holiday day that had to be “used”. I even admit to dragging a few people sightseeing when they clearly needed some rest.
Now I tell people to keep the first day easy. For a first visit, I would recommend staying around Asok: you have the BTS Skytrain and MRT metro nearby, Benjakitti Park is also close, and there are a lot of good places to eat. Drop your bag, take a shower, and go outside for a while. Getting some daylight helps your body adjust to the new time zone. I would save the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and other iconic landmarks for the next day.
And try not to go to sleep. Jet lag is basically your body clock insisting that it is still back home, and staying awake until a reasonable local bedtime helps it start catching up with Bangkok time. A long afternoon nap can do the opposite. If you absolutely need some shuteye, take a short 20–30 minute nap, but set an alarm.
Instead of sleeping, I would advise you to go and get something to eat. After a long journey, I usually want something fairly simple: khao man gai, which is chicken and rice with a light broth on the side; a bowl of jok, Thailand’s rice porridge; or some noodle soup.
Do everything right, and you will have a cosy, relaxed first day in the city and feel much better the next morning. More importantly, I won’t feel guilty dragging you sightseeing.
What I Tell People Now
So now, when someone asks me how to get to Bangkok, instead of finding the cheapest half-decent flight and replying with “here you go”, I normally send something closer to a small lecture. Look at where you are stopping, how long the layover is, and how the flying time is split. Think about how you actually cope with long flights and, if possible, consider business class. Get the TDAC done before you travel, and do not arrive with plans to conquer half of Bangkok before dinner.
This is probably far more advice than anyone was asking for.
Anyway, one friend actually listened. He picked a sensible route, slept well on the long flight and kept the first evening simple.
Just before 8 am the next morning, he messaged me.
“Where are we going for breakfast?”
Perfect. Much easier to work with.