Cheap Flights to Bangkok (BKK)

Bangkok is a thronging metropolis, packed with friendly people and expanding as fast as its economy will allow. Add to this a hectic nightlife, a colourful culture and an enthralling pace of living and this makes Bangkok flights just the first step on an unforgettable journey.

If you're off for a Thai holiday, Bangkok is usually the arrival point before you make for the beautiful beaches of Phuket, Koh Samui and many others. First up though, you should make sure you take the time to soak up all that Bangkok has to offer.

Dine on the delicious local treats from the bustling street markets and take a trip to the historic temples and bright lights of Chinatown, and your Bangkok holiday will be jam-packed with exciting sights just waiting to be explored.

Flights To Bangkok

All intercontinental flights to Bangkok arrive at the Suvarnabhumi Airport, which is also known as New Bangkok International Airport. It's located about 16 miles east of the city centre. Direct flights from London to Bangkok depart from Heathrow, and you can expect the journey to take about 12 hours. You can also catch indirect flights from plenty of UK airports, with stopovers usually in Amsterdam, Paris or Dubai.

Flight prices to Bangkok don't tend to fluctuate that much throughout the year, primarily because temperatures in Bangkok are fairly hot all the time, so there isn't a high season as such. It certainly can rain though, and the rainy season is from May to October, with September the wettest month. The best time to visit is between November and January, when the weather is mostly dry and the temperatures are at the cooler end of the tropical scale.

Once you've landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport, a transfer from the airport to one of the many Bangkok hotels can take 45 minutes or more. This is heavily dependent on the location of your accommodation as well as the traffic levels, and a city bus is likely to take longer. To avoid travelling by road, take the Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link to either Phaya Thai Station or Makkasan Station in the city centre at a cost of around 90 baht for a single journey.

The other airport for Bangkok is Don Mueang International Airport, which sits about 15 miles north of Bangkok city centre. The majority of flights that arrive at Don Mueang are from south-east Asia, so its unlikely you'll be arriving here from the UK, but these Bangkok flights are a fast way of arriving from other Thai destinations or nearby countries. In 2012 this airport became the main hub for domestic and low-cost flights, so look here for cheap flights from Bangkok to destinations like Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Hanoi.

The quickest and easiest way to get into Bangkok centre from Don Mueang Airport is by taxi, which takes between 30 minutes and an hour depending on traffic, and costs around 350 baht. Alternatives are the train or bus which will be cheaper - the bus only costs about 20 baht - but will take longer. Trains depart hourly and are likely to be busy as the stop is on the main line to Chiang Mai.

Getting Around Bangkok

Bangkok car hire is available both from airport and within the city but be aware that driving conditions can be pretty hair-raising! If you do rent a car after your Bangkok flights, consider taking advantage of the option to include a local driver in the rental package, which might be sensible given the lack of parking and confusing local road rules. If that all seems too much, try the local taxis, which are very cheap compared to other international destinations.

The BTS Skytrain is a really cheap and efficient way of getting around Bangkok. If you take the Air Rail Link into Bangkok, you can transfer onto the Skytrain and can get yourself all over the city via two lines; the Sukhumvit Line and the Silom line. The fare varies by your destination, but a single journey will normally be between 15 and 40 baht. Buses in Bangkok are an even cheaper travel option and give you the chance to experience the real Bangkok that you might not see if you're travelling by train.

Some attractions such as the Damnoen Saduak floating market are outside the city centre, and to visit them it often makes sense to book an organised bus trip. These excursions will include a guided tour and sometimes a boat or cycling trip too, so all in all it's much more relaxing and fun than making your own way there.

What To See In Bangkok

Top of the list are the temples of Wat Arun, Wat Pra Kaew and Wat Pho, with their fascinating collections of murals and sculptures. You'll have to cross the Chao Phraya River to admire the mosaics adorning Wat Arun, but the trip is well worth it and the river itself provides one of the most scenic views in Bangkok, with water taxis and rice barges chugging along against a backdrop of sparkling temples.

Shopaholics will love Chatuchak, the biggest weekend market in the world, and the floating markets including Damnoen Saduak, Taling Chan and Tha Ka, with hundreds of boats piled high with colourful tropical fruit and traditional dishes cooked on board. When the sun has set, fun-loving travellers and locals fill the bars and restaurants of Chinatown and Khao San Road.