Flying Bangkok to Hua Hin

[Dawebo]

Hi all.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has ever used or regularly uses the air service between Hua Hin and Suvarnabhumi.
How long before the departure time do you need to arrive at the airport (hua hin)
Does anyone know if they do discount tickets for frequent flyers?

I'm moving my base to Thailand shortly and I'd love to base myself in Hua Hin. However I will be flying a lot for my job, therefore I don't want to be too far from Suvarnabhumi. I know Hua Hin is at least 3 hours by car so I'm wondering if the flight service is efficient and if they discount the ticket for frequent flyers.

Anyway folks, any info that can be given on the service would be much appreciated.

[BaaBaa.]

Hi all.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has ever used or regularly uses the air service between Hua Hin and Suvarnabhumi.
How long before the departure time do you need to arrive at the airport (hua hin)
Does anyone know if they do discount tickets for frequent flyers?

I'm moving my base to Thailand shortly and I'd love to base myself in Hua Hin. However I will be flying a lot for my job, therefore I don't want to be too far from Suvarnabhumi. I know Hua Hin is at least 3 hours by car so I'm wondering if the flight service is efficient and if they discount the ticket for frequent flyers.

Anyway folks, any info that can be given on the service would be much appreciated.

I've never done the Hua Hin - BKK flight Dawebo so I'll leave that to others, but from your Taxi picking you up in HH to getting out at Suvarnabhumi is only about 2.5 hours, so taking into account your Taxi from Hua Hin to HH Airport, Checking in, then your flight, I'd question if it is any more efficient.

[bubbly]

Don't know about the discount thing but i looked into it last Feb and it was nearly 3500bt one way and the flights weren't that frequent. Crappy old twin prop things too. You wouldn't get me on one
BaaBaa is right Daewoo,its probably quicker in a taxi

[jorwik]

Hi.
I've never used this service because it's too expensive, but https://www.nokair.com has two flights/day from BKK to HH;
12.30 and 17.30 from BKK (3700 Baht o/w). The flight takes 50 min and you can check in by e-ticket if you have no luggage.
Maybe you can check others opinion of Nok Air on Lonely Planet's forum, Thorn Tree.
Good luck.
Jorgen

[splitlid]

done it a few times, and must say its great, very rarely full, alomost private plane feeling. great views of the coast. and really not that much more than a taxi to the airport.
except if there is more than one person travelling then it can start to get expensive.

well worth saving 2.5 hours sitting in a taxi.

checkin about 20 mins before departure time.
dont think they care for FF points.

[Wanderlust]

I have never used it, but I would think other posters have made a fair point about the amount of time actually saved. Also given the infrequency of the flights you might well end up arriving way too long before your onward flight or having to risk not having enough time on occasion. Let's say you live a ten minute drive from HH airport, so add that to the 20 minutes before flight check in and then the 50 minute flight. That is already 1 hour 20 minutes, and then after touchdown there will inevitably be at least ten minutes of taxiing and whatever. So there is a maximum of 1 hour saved, although the 2.5 hours in a taxi HH to BKK does carry the risk of delay due to traffic/roadworks. For me a saving of one hour doesn't really seem worth the extra cost, but it may be worth it for you I guess the answer is to suck it and see?

[Governor]

I have used them and the flight was most enjoyable, if a tad expensive.

With the limited flights, two per day, and the times of my flights, I have gone back to using taxis, which are door to door, cheaper, and, for me, take less time.

I think you should follow the advice given by Wonderlust to suck it and see.

http://www.sga.co.th/main/sga_book.php? ... 2058460001

[Nereus]

Don't know about the discount thing but i looked into it last Feb and it was nearly 3500bt one way and the flights weren't that frequent. Crappy old twin prop things too. You wouldn't get me on one
BaaBaa is right Daewoo,its probably quicker in a taxi

Not sure just where you got that info from, bubbly. The company operating the flight is SGA, and they have always used a Cessna Caravan on this sector. That is probably worse in your view, as it only has ONE engine!
The aircraft has an impeccable safety,reliability and dispatch record, something that anyone would be hard put to attach to some of the taxis that I have seen on many road trips back and forth between Bangkok and Hua Hin.
As for the time taken it may just be a case of a bit longer, rather than dead on time! And if you comute to work by air, as I did for many years, then the last thing that you want is to start the journey with a 2 to 3 hour car ride.

http://www.sga.co.th/main/index.php

[ADW]

I have used the flight several times and if the flight times are right for international flights then it saves loads of time. I caught it once and was the only passenger - it was my own private jet!

I've just booked my Dad on it and it was around 3,500 (inc taxes) for a one way ticket. If he caught a taxi he wouldn't arrive in Hua Hin till around 9pm, this way, he's here by 6.30.

As I said, can't go wrong if the times are right.

[BaaBaa.]

If he caught a taxi he wouldn't arrive in Hua Hin till around 9pm, this way, he's here by 6.30.

How does that work then?

The Taxi journey is only 2.5 hours.

[elem]

I agree with much that has been said here (price etc).
I have used this service infrequently -but quite often, and find it a great way to quickly get straight to BKK airport(or HH) and avoiding traffic (whihc can drive you mad at times). However, as they are now just down to 2 flights per day, connections might be an issue for you. You need to be at HH airport 20 min in advance, and 40min in BKK.
The flight is more like 35-40 minutes, and there is really no hassle at all. You can choose to take your luggage straight from the plane, so no need to wait at the luggage-belt in BKK.
My advice would be to check it out, and compare it to a taxi journey.

[ricardo]

I make the trip from Hua Hin to Suvarnabhumi fairly regularly 6 to 7 times a year when I am on my way back to Qatar to work.

I normally take a taxi, because the HH to Suvarnabhumi flight does not connect with my international flight back to work.

But if you can connect, then it will save you a bit of time. When I worked in India my best time from my house in Hua Hin to sitting in the lounge in Suvaranbhumi was 1hr 50 minutes.

If you have never taken the flight, IMO it is worth it one time just for the aerial views of Hua Hin, Cha-Am and Bangkok.
One thing to remember though is that this flight is commonly cancelled, sometimes with only a few hours notice. SGA / NOK will then try to get you to use their limousine service for the same price as the air ticket.

I think SGA / NOK are operating the same service now. On the NOK air website their price is less than B2400 single, but they only fly twice a day.

Dawebo if I was you when you get to Hua Hin just got to the airport and ask them about their service. As far as I know there is no frequent flyer discount.


Baa Baa your taxi time of 2.5 hours is only a best case scenario. I too have done the journey many time in 2.5 hours but it has also taken me nearly 4 hours aswell, due to roadworks and the weather.
I once missed my flight to work due to a motorcade, we were stuck off the road in a petrol station outside of Petchaburi for 1 hour. My boss couldn't get his head round the idea that a main road to an airport could be closed because of VIP's.

I always give myself 4 hours now - unless I fly.
Bring back the days of Bangkok Airways, when you could fly upto Bangers for B900 because they couldn't fill the plane.

[Dawebo]

thanks for all your comments folks. I guess I'll give it a try. it probably really does depend on how the flight times match with my flights out of and into bangkok.

2.5 hours in a car is definately best case scenario. For me it's usually over 3, and one time it took me practically 5 hours with crazy traffic and road works.