Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [644]
Australia
THAI and Qantas both have direct flights to Bangkok. Qantas’ low-budget subsidiary, Jetstar, travels to Thailand from Sydney and Melbourne. Garuda Indonesia, Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, China Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways and Emirates Airlines also have frequent flights to Bangkok from Australia.
Online ticket sites include the following.
Expedia (1 300 397 3342; www.expedia.com.au)
Flight Centre (133 133; www.flightcentre.com.au)
STA Travel (134 782; www.statravel.com.au)
Canada
Air Canada, THAI, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines and several US-based airlines fly from various Canadian cities to Bangkok. Travel Cuts (866 246 9762; www.travelcuts.com) is Canada’s national student travel agency. North South Travel (www.northsouthtravel.com) is an independent travel agency located in Vancouver.
Continental Europe
Following are some recommended agencies across Europe.
France
Anyway (0 892 302 301; www.anyway.fr)
Lastminute (0 466 923 029; www.lastminute.fr)
Nouvelles Frontières (0 149 206 587; www.nouvelles-frontieres.fr)
Voyageurs du Monde (www.vdm.com)
Germany
Just Travel (089 747 3330; www.justtravel.de)
Lastminute (0 1805 284 366; www.lastminute.de)
STA Travel (0 6974 303 292; www.statravel.de)
Italy
CTS Viaggi (06 462 0431; www.cts.it) Specialises in student and youth travel.
Netherlands
Airfair (0 900 7717 717; www.airfair.nl)
Spain
Barcelo Viajes (902 116 226; www.barceloviajes.com)
Middle East
Egypt Panorama Tours (2359 0200; www.eptours.com) is a long-running agency located in Cairo.
New Zealand
Air New Zealand, British Airways, THAI and Australian-based airlines have direct flights to Bangkok. Malaysia Airlines, Qantas and Garuda Indonesia also have flights to Bangkok, with stopovers.
Both Flight Centre (0800 243 544; www.flight centre.co.nz) and STA Travel (0800 474 400; www.statravel.co.nz) have branches throughout the country. Go Holidays (www.goholidays.co.nz) is recommended for online bookings.
South America
Some recommended agencies include the following.
ASATEJ (www.asatej.com) In Argentina.
Student Travel Bureau (3038 1555; www.stb.com.br) In Brazil.
UK
At least two dozen airlines fly between London and Bangkok, although only three of them – British Airways, EVA Airways and THAI – fly nonstop. Discount air-travel ads appear in Time Out, the Evening Standard and in the free magazine TNT. Low Cost Lux (www.lowcostlux.com) discusses stopover ideas and nonstop travel between London and Bangkok.
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THINGS CHANGE…
The information in this chapter is particularly vulnerable to change. Check directly with the airline or a travel agent to make sure you understand how a fare (and ticket you may buy) works and be aware of the security requirements for international travel. Shop carefully. The details given in this chapter should be regarded as pointers and are not a substitute for your own careful, up-to-date research.
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Recommended travel agencies include the following.
Ebookers (0871 223 5000; www.ebookers.com)
Expedia (www.expedia.co.uk)
Flight Centre (0870 499 0040; flightcentre.co.uk)
STA Travel (0871 230 0040; www.statravel.co.uk)
Trailfinders (0845 058 5858; www.trailfinders.co.uk)
Travel Bag (0800 804 8911; www.travelbag.co.uk)
Quest Travel (0845 263 6963; www.questtravel.com)
US
It’s cheaper to fly to Bangkok from West Coast cities than from the East Coast. The airlines that generally offer the lowest fares from the US include China Airlines, EVA Airways, Korean Air and Northwest. EVA Airways (Taiwan) offers the ‘Evergreen Deluxe’ class between the US and Bangkok, via Taipei, which has business class–sized seats and personal movie screens for about the same cost as regular economy fares