Location: Utapao Rayong Airport is located 140 km from Bangkok and 38 km from the resort of Pattaya (south along the Sukhumvit Highway), in the Rayong district. Equipped with a huge runway (it used to be an exclusively military airfield). Currently actively developing. The terminal is small in size, but there is a cafe, restaurant, Duty Free and post office. Passenger traffic is about 400,000 people per year. There is no public transport (under construction Railway via Pattaya to Bangkok). In 5015, many travel agencies offer tours with arrival in Utapao (convenient for tourists traveling to Pattaya, Rayong, the islands of Samet and Chang).
At Pattaya Airport, as in other cities in Thailand, there are always employees who understand (and speak) English.
Going on a trip to Thailand, where they speak Thai language, a traveler may find the following phrase books useful:
Before visiting Thailand, we suggest that you read the tourist guide; we strongly recommend that those visiting this country for the first time do so.
When flying to Thailand or at Pattaya airport, tourists are usually required to fill out a migration card, a sample of which can be downloaded and studied in advance.
At a distance of 40 kilometers from Pattaya there is a very small but cozy Utapao airport, which has official international status. The building is located almost on the route of the federal highway called Sukhumvit Road. The distance to the state capital is decent - about 140 kilometers. The low intensity of passenger traffic at the airport is due to its location in the first air wing of the royal troops.
The official name of the airport in Pattaya is U-Tapao International. To track arrivals and departures, you can use a special online scoreboard. Thanks to it, you can see the flights being carried out in real time and will always know exact time arrivals and departures. Below I placed such a board.
The airport is located in close proximity to the popular and most beautiful tourist destination in Thailand - Sattahip Beach. The views from the beach coastline are of extraordinary and mesmerizing beauty.
The airport occupies only one floor, has one passenger terminal and a capacity of no more than 400 people.
Utapao Airport in Pattaya includes the following units:
All airports in the world that meet international standards require the presence of point of sale Duty Free. At Utapao Airport it is located between the arrival and departure areas of passengers.
Tourists can take advantage of additional services that are provided in the airport building itself - a free wi-fi zone throughout Utapao, a travel agency, selection and booking of hotels and transfers. Personal car rental is also available, and on the street you can take advantage of offers from local taxi drivers.
The arrival area at Utapao Airport is small. Upon arrival, all passengers go through passport control and receive their luggage. Lost luggage often occurs; in this case, lost items counters are located in the arrivals area. If the passenger could not find his luggage, then the employees special services I will help you fill out the lost baggage receipt correctly.
Such force majeure events are not uncommon at the airport, so the search service works very quickly. Usually, things are returned to the passenger no later than 1-2 days after arrival in Thailand. I myself once encountered such a situation; my suitcase was found 2 days later and brought straight to my hotel.
The departure area is almost 2 times larger than the arrival area. At the entrance to the departure area there is organized Big hall for registration, meeting international standards, for example, metal detector frames. In the departure area there is a large online board with up-to-date information on all flights for the near future.
In the departure area there is a special reception desk that handles VAT refunds. It is located under the Vat Refund sign. Not far from this counter, airport staff weigh luggage and pack it for the flight.
There are ATMs and a currency exchange office in the passenger arrivals hall. All ATMs in Thailand are similar in appearance to Russian ones; ATM is written on them. Please note that Thai ATMs charge a fixed fee (180-200 baht) for cash withdrawals. Cash withdrawal limits are usually set at 20-30 thousand baht.
All international airports are equipped with currency exchange offices. The higher the denomination of the dollar currency, the more favorable the exchange rate. But in the airport building and hotels the exchange rate is often the most unfavorable, so it is better to change large amounts in the city.
Most often, taxis and transfers travel only to two resort towns - Pattaya and Rayong. It is also possible to get to any place without reaching these two resorts. The cost of the transfer is almost 2 times lower due to the package for one trip more people (usually the number of people in a minibus is from 6 to 12).
There are several ways to get from Utapao Airport to the cities of Pattaya and Rayong:
The distance from the airport to Rayong is just over 30 kilometers, and to Pattaya - almost 40 kilometers. Therefore, the cost of taxis and transfers is quite high. If you use the services of local taxi drivers, they will charge you a fee of 1000 baht.
You can rent a car using transport companies, whose small branches in the form of counters are located in several parts of the passenger arrivals area at Utapao Airport. The average cost of a car per day is about 850 baht.
Regular airport transfers are minibuses, similar to large minibuses.
The most popular and inexpensive way get from the airport to Pattaya - use early booking transfer on the website.
Travel agencies immediately arrange a transfer when booking a trip, the price of which already includes transportation to the desired resort from the airport.
See the map for the exact location of Utapao Airport.
Many tourists who have vacationed within the Pattaya resort more than once still have no idea that there is an international airport nearby. The cost of direct charter flights from Utapao is significantly lower compared to offers from the capital's Suvurnabhumi Airport.
Before writing this post, I compiled the top popular queries in Yandex, my personal knowledge, and looked through the websites of my colleagues. I just looked at what they usually write about when asked. It seemed interesting that most articles about the airport in U-Tapao begin with a historical note, although not even a hint of the history of the airport in Pattaya was ever mentioned in the top queries. In short, we’ll start from the opposite direction and on my blog you will first get answers to your questions and only at the end of the post will I write a little about the airport itself.
Usually I place a map of an object at the end of the article, as an addition to the main information, taking into account the fact that not every reader goes into SO much detail that he is ready to master all these buttons for zooming and switching map layers. But in the case of U-Tapao Airport, the card must be presented to you first, and for this reason.
There are almost forty kilometers between the resort town of Pattaya and U-Tapao airport. For most novice tourists, this turns out to be the discovery of the century, but these are the realities: there is no Utapao airport in Pattaya. And 40 km is a distance that can no longer be covered on foot, by metro or tuk-tuk, so you have to choose between four main options for the U-Tapao-Pattaya transfer.
There are four main ways to get from Utapao to Pattaya and back: taxi, regular transport, minibus shuttle or train. All points, regardless of their headings, imply that the methods of travel and the price of transfer “there” are exactly the same as “back”. I just don’t want to rewrite “Utapao Airport - Pattaya” and “Pattaya - Utapao Airport” a hundred times. I will definitely tell you about rare differences.
Six kilometers from the terminal there is railroad station Ban Phlu Ta Luang, from which train No. 284 departs daily at 13:35 for Bangkok. In Pattaya it stops at 14:20, but just in case, always check the timetable on the Royal Thai Railway website.
The method is very amateurish and can be used only once a day, plus you will still need to somehow travel these six kilometers from the airport, but it’s around 100-150 baht. Just don’t be alarmed by the increase in transfer costs, because train tickets cost 27, 14 and 6 baht for 1, 2 and 3 class carriages, respectively. Six baht, Karl! Return train No. 283 from Pattaya to Ban Phlu Ta Luang station departs the same way every day at 10:35 and arrives at 11:20.
Large multi-colored buses and white minibuses with Thai inscriptions of their destinations regularly run along Sukhumvit Road: Chonburi-Pattaya-Utapao-Rayong. Used to transport the local population, with corresponding prices. And in order not to compete with tourist shuttles, there are no signs in English on such buses. Perhaps on the windshields of large buses, but you will have to identify the small white mikriks with your eyes.
They travel frequently, once every 5-15 minutes. They stop with a wave of the hand or at public transport stops. The price of the trip is 50-60 baht, it takes a long time to travel because they stop at every stop.
You will have to get off 3.5 km from the terminal, the rest of the way is covered by a tuk-tuk or motorcycle taxi, which are on duty in the area of the turn to the airport, the cost of the trip is about 100 baht. In total, this turns out to be cheaper than any minibass at 250.
There are several private companies that transport passengers from U-Tapao to Pattaya by minibus, including the popular low-cost airline Air Asia, which sells two options for air tickets to Pattaya: destination Pattaya and Pattaya-Downtown, which you can choose at the stage of booking your ticket on the carrier's website. The transfer fee (210 baht) is automatically included in the ticket price. But, if your company has two or more passengers, then it will be more profitable to take a taxi. Moreover, Air Asia does not provide transfers throughout Pattaya, but only to the Central Festival shopping center, which is located in the city center.
Here is the button to order a transfer from Air Asia
Upon arrival at U-Tapao Airport, at the exit from the arrivals area you will see the Aireiji counter, where you need to present your ticket to the employee. After this, you will be taken to the minibus and in 40 minutes you will find yourself near the Central Festival in Pattaya. You won’t be able to buy a transfer separately - everything is tied to Air Asia tickets and flights. If you arrived without booking a transfer, then you can choose from any of the counters that offer minibus transfers from 250 baht per person. In principle, the shuttle is an option for singles. If you are traveling in a group of 3 or more people, and even with children, then it is more profitable to take a taxi.
A taxi from Utopao Airport to Pattaya and back costs from 800-1000 baht. You can rent a car upon arrival at the counters in the arrivals hall. On the Internet they ask for up to 3,000 baht for a private transfer from all sorts of incomprehensible services that pop up during an active search on the Internet. Therefore, if the task is to order a car in advance, then it is better to take it from a trusted Kiwitaxi (here).
KiwiTaxi's price tag is so-so, to be honest. Look at the price, it starts from about 1400 baht per car, an ordinary sedan. There are also a number of private drivers who can be found in any community social network on the topic "Pattaya", from 800 baht for a sedan for 4 passengers to 1800 baht for a nine-passenger minibus. But if you want to pay online and with a large service, so that you can be guaranteed a meeting with a sign at the airport, then this is Qiwi. So let's say, for those who don't care much about price.
40 km is not a distance for which it’s worth renting a car, but I’ll still add this method. Because if you want to actively drive around the surrounding area, it is better to take the car directly at the airport and then drop it off there. I said and I will repeat again, on short time it is better to rent a car through large network rental companies, which are present only at airports and major cities. Very detailed information about all the nuances of car rental in Thailand.
In order not to go through the sites of rental companies one after another, it is best to use a service that will immediately display all offers from everyone. You order and there is a car waiting for you upon arrival.
Due to the fact that the airport was originally built for the needs of the military, U-Tapao looks more like a village airport than a major center communications with reception of international flights and high throughput. Very roughly speaking, two thirds of the premises are occupied by the check-in and departure waiting area, and one third by the arrival area.
The airport infrastructure includes a Duty Free zone, shops, a food court, an exchange office, SIM card and rental car counters and parking. Taxis are clustered near the exit from the arrivals area. Everything is located very compactly; you don’t need to receive any special instructions for surviving at Utapao airport.
Utapao online scoreboard
Pattaya Airport – one of the most popular resorts in Thailand. Every year Pattaya receives thousands of tourists from all over the world. Pattaya is a picturesque place where it is pleasant to relax and there is something to see. Its popularity among the Russian-speaking population is due to decent living conditions, high-quality service and relatively low cost, even in . Pattaya has the best of resort holiday and is suitable for both a trip with friends and a holiday with family. You can get to Pattaya either by public transport from other cities in Thailand or by flights to the airport located nearby.
U-Tapao or U-Tapao International Airport - This international Airport, located closest to Pattaya under the UTP nomenclature. This is a small airport 40 minutes from Pattaya in the southern part of the resort. The distance from the capital of Thailand is 140 kilometers. U-Tapao serves international and regional flights and was a major military base during the Vietnam War.
U-Tapao Airport has maintained its importance since its military past during the American War. U-Tapao is located in the waterfront area Sattahip and serves approximately 400 people daily. Despite his small size, the passenger terminal has an area of 2.5 thousand square meters. There are important centers on the territory of U-Tapao Maintenance world famous international companies. U-Tapao Airport specializes in receiving charter flights. The runway is 60 m wide and 3.5 km long.
The bulk of passenger turnover consists of domestic flights. U-Tapao can be used as a backup air gate. The airport serves not only Pattaya. But . U-Tapao receives international, domestic and military aircraft and serves the Royal Thai Air Force. You can get to the airport by charter flight or transit through the capital of Thailand.
Pattaya Airport (U-Tapao) was built in the 1960s and had the status of a military base. It was built by the US military to conduct air attacks during the Vietnam War. U-Tapao lost its status as a full-fledged military airport and now accepts civil flights. In 2008, when air gate Bangkok was blocked, the country's authorities sent international flights to U-Tapao and within 2 weeks the airport became the main one in the country.
After the restoration of access to Bangkok Airport, U-Tapao retained the right to accept civil flights. At the moment, the airport cooperates with many airlines, including:
Domestic flights and international charter flights operate from U-Tapao. The importance of the airport lies in the maintenance that is provided to the aircraft of different airlines. All aircraft models are diagnosed and repaired here. Due to high-quality technical services, the country's authorities intend to expand the area of U-Tapao, thereby increasing the flow of tourists.
Despite the rapid flow of passengers, Pattaya Airport looks very small on the map. Its capacity does not exceed 400 people. U-Tapao's small area does not prevent it from being one of the most popular airports in Thailand. U-Tapao receives and dispatches passenger aircraft. There is everything you need for a comfortable stay.
Pattaya Airport on small area holds:
Tourists flying to U-Tapao for the first time can purchase an airport map so as not to get lost. In general, the airport infrastructure is convenient. There are 100 parking spaces on the airport premises, Duty stores Dree, food stations, Internet access areas, souvenir shops. There are travel agency services on the territory of U-Tapao, where you can rent a place in a hotel or call a taxi. The airport was designed as a military airport, so it throughput, a little limited. There are queues of visitors at the check-in counters and there is a palpable atmosphere of rush. But flying through U-Tapao is budget option, compared to a plane ticket to Bangkok.
There are many ways to get to U-Tapao Airport:
The easiest way to get to U-Tapao is a pre-booked transfer, which is considered a very profitable way to travel. Only 9 $ The booked transport will pick you up from the airport and deliver you anywhere in the city. The transfer may be included in the price of the flight when purchasing a tour from a tour operator, or it can be purchased upon arrival in U-Tapao. Travel by minivan will cost 250 baht.
Departure times depend on aircraft arrival schedules, as buses depart when they are full of passengers. By minivan you can get anywhere in Pattaya. If you take a taxi, you can get from the airport to Pattaya in 40 minutes. The cost of the trip is from 850 baht. Renting a taxi, which is located in the airport parking lot, will cost 1000 baht, so it will be cheaper to order a taxi from services car rental .
On the territory of U-Tapao there are duty-free shops, souvenir and jewelry shops, cafes and car rental points. Hotels near the airport offer comfortable rooms and quality service. For tourists, there are online information services and a board (arrival and departure schedule) at the airport. Additional information You can find out about services and flights at U-Tapao Airport on the official website.
Few tourists have ever flown to Utapao, Pattaya airport. And all because Utapao, an airport not only for commercial, but also for military purposes, receives 10 times fewer tourists per year than Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. Over the next two months, the situation will change; all charters, including charters to Thailand from Russia, will be sent to UTapao airport.
Utapao Airport Pattaya
UTapao International Airport is the airport where the Thai Air Force is based, and commercial flights also arrive here. In total, 17 airlines cooperate with Utapao Airport.
The passenger terminal area is more than 2.5 thousand square meters and Utapao Airport has everything a tourist might need on a trip - Vat Refund, Duty Free, cafes, internet cafes, souvenirs and shops.
Utapao, however, is a small airport without any frills. Although Pattaya is only 40 km away from here, getting from Utapao to Pattaya is not as easy as we would like.
There is no public transport from Utapao to Pattaya.
Utapao Airport mainly serves domestic flights within Thailand. The Kingdom of Smiles promotes and encourages domestic tourism in every possible way. There are many subsidies for airlines to
to popularize the resorts of Thailand among local residents.
The peak of the tourist flow in Utapao occurs in winter, when Thailand has the so-called high season. In summer there are much fewer flights at Pattaya Airport.
Utapao Airport is 40 km from Pattaya and 150 km from Bangkok.
In the coming years, the construction of a new passenger terminal, new runways, and reconstruction are planned at U-Tapao Airport.
Many have already heard the news that absolutely all charter flights arriving in Bangkok from March 3 to May 2 are being transferred from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Pattaya-Utapao Airport.
This is due to the reconstruction of one of the Suvarnabhumi runways, the load on which is already very heavy. Suvarnabhumi Airport last years operates at the peak of its capacity and receives tourists 15-20% more than it is capable of.
ALL charter flights flying to Bangkok will be operated in full, the Russian Ministry of Tourism has assured. It’s just that all flights of charter companies will be sent to Pattaya, to Utapao instead of Bangkok.
Who will this affect first?
Those who have chosen tours from the Tour Operator “Coral Travel”, as well as “Pegas Touristik”, and several other Russian tour operators who regularly send charter flights with tourists to Thailand.
These are Russian airlines - Ikar, Nord Wind, Azur Air and others.
Absolutely all charters of these companies will be sent either to U-Tapao or to Don Mueang airport in Bangkok.
Tour operators surveyed by news agencies reported that the vast majority of tourists traveling to Bangkok fly to Pattaya on vacation, so those who happen to fly between March and May 2017
in Utapao, even lucky. After all, it is much closer and more convenient to get to the resort from here.
The travel time from Pattaya Airport (Utapao) by taxi to the center of Pattaya will not be more than an hour, while a bus with tourists from Bangkok airport takes at least two hours.
Regular flights to Bangkok from March to May will continue to arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The frequency and order of flights will remain unchanged.
It is worth recalling that the repair of the runway in Suvarnabhum will also affect the celebration of the Thai New Year "Songkran", which takes place in April. And for Songkran, not only foreign but also local tourists usually fly to Bangkok, which increases the load on the airport and will certainly affect air traffic.
It is expected that work to improve Suvarnabhumi Airport will be completed by 2019, after which the capacity of the country's main airport will increase from 45 million passengers to 65 million passengers per year.
As I mentioned above, from Utapao airport to Pattaya public transport does not go. There are two ways to get to the city. Upon arrival, buy a seat in a minibus for 250 baht or order a taxi transfer to your hotel.
Upon arrival, you will be greeted in Utapao with signs offering a minibus transfer. This method is good for those who save money and travel alone.
There are several disadvantages. If you arrive in U-Tapao at night or early in the morning, minibuses may not yet operate.
During the day it all depends on how busy it is. Sometimes you need to wait for a seat in a minibus for several hours, since there are many people who want to get to Pattaya, and there is not enough space for everyone in the next few hours.
It’s quite sad to wait in Utapao, since there isn’t even a proper food court, unlike Suvarnabhum.
The taxi option is suitable for large companies, families with children who, after a 9-hour flight, do not have the opportunity or desire to be at the airport, waiting to be taken to the hotel.
To get to Pattaya inexpensively, with comfort, air conditioning and without extra people around, it is more profitable to book a taxi.
The taxi driver will meet you with a sign with your name on it and drive you to Pattaya in less than an hour.
The cost of a taxi to Pattaya from U-Tapao depends on the number of passengers and luggage.
The price for a taxi is already finite, we have used the services many times Kiwi Taxi in Thailand and were satisfied with the prices, clean cars, punctual drivers and the availability of a child seat.
Another plus is that you don’t need to pay the full cost of the trip; when booking, only a small part is paid, which is returned if you change your mind at least 24 hours in advance.
Pay the driver in cash for the fare; if you don’t have baht, just ask to stop and exchange rubles for baht or withdraw money from an ATM.
If you love shopping and make some large purchases in Pattaya or Bangkok, apply at the Vat Refund store. That is, tax free refund. This is beneficial if purchases in Thailand exceed 2000,
or better yet 10,000 baht.
If you are leaving from the airport Pattaya Utapao and want to return the tax free, then after passport control you must contact a Vat Refund employee presenting all the necessary receipts and forms, and also have with you the goods that you bought for this amount.
How to save money on a hotel or apartment on vacation?
I'm looking on the Rumguru website. It contains absolutely all discounts on hotels and apartments from 30 booking systems, including booking. I often find very profitable options, I can save from 30 to 80%
How to save on insurance?
Insurance abroad is required. Any appointment is very expensive and the only way to avoid paying out of pocket is to choose an insurance policy in advance. We have been registering on the website for many years, which give the best prices insurance and selection along with registration takes only a couple of minutes.
