Bangkok to Bhutan Flight: Direct Flights to Bhutan from Thailand

One of only nine airports in five countries around the world that has direct flights to Bhutan, Bangkok is one of the major gateways to Bhutan. Since it was opened up to tourism in the 1970s, Bhutan has always had a limited number of scheduled flights into its only international airport, and only two airlines that can offer flights to the remote kingdom. Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok is one of the most popular airports with direct flights to Bhutan in Asia and provides both direct and indirect flights to the most exclusive tourist destination in the world.

Bangkok to Bhutan Flight Schedule

Flights to Bhutan from Bangkok in Thailand are offered by both Bhutan Airlines, the first private airline permitted to operate out of the kingdom and Druk Air, the government-owned flagship airline of Bhutan, which offered the first-ever flight to Bhutan by a Bhutanese airline in 1983. There are currently four flights to Bhutan with Druk Air and one with Bhutan airlines, though the flights operate on different days of the week, depending on the flight schedule.

Bangkok to Paro Flight Schedule with Druk Air

Druk Air offers two direct flights to Bhutan (KB151 and KB153), with different departure times and days. Generally speaking, there is one daily flight from Bangkok to Paro, and occasionally two flights a day. For Specific flight information on your preferred travel date, please feel free to contact us. The general flight journey from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Paro International Airport takes about 3 hours.

Druk Air’s only indirect flight to Paro runs on Tuesday and Sunday, and departs from Bangkok at 5:00 am, arriving in Paro 4 hours 20 minutes later. The flight makes a stop in Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri, India, for around 40 minutes, before continuing to Paro.

Bangkok to Paro Flight Schedule with Bhutan Airlines

Bhutan Airlines only flight to Paro from Bangkok currently runs five days a week from the Thai airport but is not direct to the Himalayan Kingdom. Departing at 6:30 am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, the flight stops in Kolkata in India for 45 minutes and takes a total of 4 hours 25 minutes to reach Paro International Airport.

Bhutan Airlines offers one direct flight (B3 703) to Paro from Bangkok, which departs two days a week. It takes about 3 hours and 10 minutes to fly from Bangkok airport to Paro.

The connecting flight (B3 701) if more frequent than the direct flight, which departs almost every day from Bangkok to Paro. It takes about 4 hours and 25 minutes from Bangkok to Paro, including a 30-minute stop at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, India.

Paro to Bangkok Flight Schedule

Every day, there is at least one flight from Paro to Bangkok. Flight B3 700 and Flight B3 701 are arranged by Bhutan Airlines, while KB150 and KB152 are arranged by Druk Air.

Bangkok to Bhutan Flight Cost

The cost of flights to Bhutan from Bangkok is rarely any different for the two airlines that are permitted to fly to Bhutan from Bangkok, though there can sometimes be a difference during peak and low seasons for tourism in Bhutan. The average cost of a flight with Bhutan airlines is around 560 US dollars per person for an economy one-way flight and as much as 657 US dollars per person for a one-way business-class flight. With no difference in the cost, it can pay to travel by Druk Air if you are not happy with taking a detour through Kolkata to get to Paro.

While both airlines do have the same cost for their flights, you would be forgiven for thinking that it cannot be bought any cheaper. One of the advantages of being a registered tour operator in Bhutan is that we can get cheaper deals on flights to Bhutan and back from Bangkok, so if you are looking to reduce the cost of the flight, we can book it for you for a slightly lower cost.

Another way to drop the cost of the flights to Bhutan from Bangkok is to book the return flight at the same time, instead of buying two separate flights. The whole cost of a return flight to Bhutan from Bangkok with either airline is a lot cheaper. The cost of the economy flight each way when booking a return flight equals just 500 US dollars per person, a saving of more than 100 US dollars on the two flights. The cost of the return business-class trip, when booked as a return flight, is just 559 US dollars per person each way, so you save almost 200 dollars on the flights by booking both together.

This is actually favorable, as you are required to have your return flight booked and paid for before you will be permitted to board the outbound flight to Bhutan, so you are doing yourself a favor by booking the return flight instead.

How to book a flight from Bangkok to Bhutan

The booking process for both Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines requires you to have the Visa Approval Letter from the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) before you can book a flight to Bhutan. However, you can only get the Visa Approval Letter once you have booked a Bhutan tour and your visa has been applied for by the travel agency. It is not possible to apply for your visa yourself, and you need to have your tour booked and paid for before we are permitted to apply for your visa on your behalf.

To make things simple, we provide the all-inclusive Bangkok Bhutan tours that cover the flight to Paro from Bangkok, Bhutan Visa, as well as the local tour in Bhutan. You just tell us your travel date, your ideas of visiting Bhutan, we will do the rest for you and make your dream tour to Bhutan come true.

Tips for Taking a Bangkok to Bhutan Flight

Bangkok to Bhutan Flight Baggage Allowance

Baggage allowances on flights to Bhutan are exact, and there is no allowance to increase your baggage allowance by paying for the excess, as the aircraft used to fly to Bhutan are smaller than normal airlines. This means that you must ensure that your luggage meets the maximum weight requirements for all flights to Bhutan from Bangkok.

The standard baggage allowance for an economy flight to Bhutan from Bangkok is 30 kilograms of checked baggage and seven kilograms of cabin baggage per person. For business-class flights, the allowance is 40 kilograms of checked baggage and seven kilograms of cabin baggage.

Incidentally, hand baggage is limited in what you can carry onto the flight, and is limited to:
● A lady’s handbag or a man’s briefcase/handbag.
● An overcoat or a wrap
● An umbrella or a walking stick
● A small camera and a pair of binoculars
● A reasonable amount of reading materials for the flight

For invalid passengers, a fully collapsible invalid wheelchair and/or a pair of crutches is permitted in excess of the cabin baggage allowance.

Service onboard the Flight from Bangkok to Paro

All flights to Bhutan are classed as ‘Full service’ flights, with the price of the tickets being inclusive of baggage allowances, as well as a full meal and bar services. Breakfast is served on all flights that depart between 7:00 am and 10:30 am, lunch is served on flights departing between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm, and dinner is served on flights departing either airport between 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm.

Snacks and drinks are served throughout the flights, and alcoholic drinks are available to adult passengers. Pillows and blankets are provided to all passengers on request, and a first aid kit is available with the cabin crew. Washrooms are all fitted with baby-changing facilities, but have smoke detectors in all washrooms and toilets, as a precautionary measure. The government of Bhutan prohibits smoking.

Time Difference between Thailand and Bhutan

The real difference in time between Bhutan and Bangkok is around one hour.

Bhutan is in the Bhutan Time Zone, which is normally set at 6 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Bangkok lies in the Thailand Time Zone and is at GMT plus 7 hours. Neither country uses any form of Daylight Savings Time.

If you fly to Bhutan from other cities via Bangkok

If you are flying into Bangkok from another country or city, then you should make sure that you have enough time to transfer to your flight to Bhutan after you land in Bangkok. You may even need to leave enough time to change airports if you are landing at Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport. For those that are arriving very early, or a day in advance, there are several decent hotels around the airport that you can book into to stay until your flight, or you can find a cheaper option a little further from the airport, in Bangkok itself. We can help with providing a local car service to take you to your hotel and back to the airport for a small fee.

Conclusion of Bangkok to Paro Flight

Flying into Paro from Bangkok is one of the more popular options for travelers to Bhutan, and the Thai airport offers a good number of flights to Paro throughout the week. However, you must make sure that you arrive in plenty of time for your flight, to allow you to book in and board on time, as the flights usually depart on time, and once the boarding gate closes, you may end up missing your flight. The service on the flights to Bhutan with both Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines is second to none, and is always excellent quality, with good Bhutanese meals available for all passengers.