Tearfully closed after nearly 90 years as Bangkok’s air facility, Don Muang Airport in Bangkok’s northern suburbs was given a new lease on life just six months after it was upstaged by the shiny new Suvarnabhumi International Airport. With the latter plagued by problems and already nearing capacity, a decision was made to reopen the partly renovated domestic terminal of Don Muang for local flights.
All domestic flights on Nok Air, some from Orient Thai, selected THAI local services, and a number of charter flights, now depart from this much quieter and more manageable airport.
Although of no use for immediate transfers when landing at Suvarnabhumi, Don Meuang is a recommended alternative when flying to the rest of the country after a stay in Bangkok. It’s a bit quicker to get to and not nearly as busy, yet still has suitable services, including food, refreshments and limited convenience shops.
Don Muang Airport is particularly useful if you are coming from Ayutthaya or Kanchanaburi (if you are flying with Nok Air), lying just to the north of Bangkok as it does, although it is farther away from Pattaya and destinations off to the east of Bangkok.
Several fast food outlets, along with ATMs and convenience stores, are located adjacent to the first floor check-in area, as well as on the lower level. Services on the air-side of security are very limited though, so eat and stock before (they do let you pass back through security).
Transportation at Bangkok Don Muang Airport
The simplest way is to hop into one of the many taxis that wait just outside the airport. You will have to pay a 50 baht levy for the taxi queue (which can be a 15-minute wait at times), but the price is still very cheap by Western standards and costs about 250-300 baht (US$8-$10) to get into the city. Many of the larger hotels offer a limousine service.
Car hire is also available if you are brave enough to tackle Bangkok’s traffic, but this is a better choice if you plan on making your own way out of the capital.
There are several hotels in the Don Muang Airport area. Within a couple of minutes walk, the Amari Don Muang Airport Bangkok Hotel offers comfort rooms at decent prices.
For the traveller on a smaller budget, there is a reliable and cheap bus service that runs from the airport to most of the popular tourist destinations in the city. You will see a small booth outside Arrivals – staff are on hand to tell you when and where the bus leaves from and how much it costs. Generally, a price of around 100 baht is standard. The train service, although having a station across the highway from the airport car parking lot, isn’t very practical.
