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-   -   BKK direct (non-stop) from US? (https://www.fodors.com/community/asia/bkk-direct-non-stop-from-us-852061/)

suec1 Jul 29th, 2010 06:38 AM

BKK direct (non-stop) from US?
 
Not sure where to find an answer to this - have tried puttering around on some websites but have yet to find an answer. Are there any non-stop flights from the US to Thailand - from where? what airline? I usually fly Delta (I live in Atl) and the flights that pull up arrive Thailand at midnight (yuk) and depart at 5am (double yuk). Just starting to roll the idea of Thailand around in my head. Also any recommendations of package deals - like BKK and beach? how many days would you sugget in each venue? we are especially eager to snorkel.

Hanuman Jul 29th, 2010 07:12 AM

Thai Airways fly direct from Bangkok to Los Angeles or vice-versa.

Craig Jul 29th, 2010 07:25 AM

You can fly to Bangkok from Atlanta via Frankfort on Lufthansa or via Seoul on Korean Air. These are not the cheapest flights however, but they do entail only one stop each way. The timings are not too bad either.

It would probably be difficult to connect to the Thai flight from Atlanta without an overnight stay at LAX.

Have you tried Kayak.com?

When are you thinking of visiting Thailand?

rhkkmk Jul 29th, 2010 07:55 AM

korean is fabulous... i just flew them to bali....i rate them #1, way above singapore..

look at ANA too, but only thai has the non-stop---i actually like a short stop

Kathie Jul 29th, 2010 08:02 AM

And I like getting into Bangkok at midnight, so don't rule out those flights. I get to my hotel, fall asleep and awake early in the morning with little jet lag.

rhkkmk Jul 29th, 2010 08:53 AM

i agree about delta....its such a pain....when those flights used to be northwest i hated the late arrival and ungodly early departure....this upcoming trip on delta i have to leave bkk at 5:35AM....

that is a reason why some of the foreign airlines have much better schedules---so i prefer them

Craig Jul 29th, 2010 12:44 PM

I agree with Kathie that the late arrival seems to help with the jet lag. However, it's hard enough leaving Bangkok without having to do it at the crack of dawn...

rivet Jul 29th, 2010 03:26 PM

This is really interesting about the late arrival and jet lag. Do you sleep as late as you like or try to wake up after 4 or 5 hours to get on schedule?

Craig Jul 29th, 2010 03:45 PM

We do not sleep in - usually we have slept already on the flight and 4-5 hours is perfect.

Kathie Jul 29th, 2010 03:50 PM

rivet, as late as I'd like is until about 6 or 6:30 am. Going to Asia from the US, most people wake up early. I do get tired early the first day or two, but otherwise, I'm fine.

Everyone is different, you have to find what works for you.

Craig, I also hate leaving so early, but the good news for me is that I'm back at home about 9:00 am the same day I left Bangkok. We can get all of our laundry done, all of the mail sorted and maybe even start the trip report that day. I know it's different for those of you on the east coast.

Craig Jul 29th, 2010 04:15 PM

Kathie, we usually allow one or two days at least on returning home before going back to our normal routines.

Kathie Jul 29th, 2010 04:33 PM

That's always best, of course. But quite a number of times I've arrived home one day and been back in the office at 8:00 the next morning.

rivet Jul 29th, 2010 06:06 PM

This is good news as we get in to SIN at midnight then have a flight out the next morning at 7. Feel a bit more relaxed about those choices now. The Ambassador Transit Hotel should have the reno of Terminal 2 completed soon - our rooms are confirmed for the end of Oct.

We tend to push holidays to the very last possible flights home then suffer the consequences though this trip there is a luxurious day on the end before going back to work.

Guenmai Jul 29th, 2010 08:41 PM

I live in L.A. County and have regularly taken the L.A.-Bangkok, non-stop flight. It's 18 hours and leaves around 9:30-10:30PM and arrives into Bangkok in the morning. Happy Travels!

Guenmai Jul 29th, 2010 08:45 PM

I forgot to add that the flight is on Thai Air. I prefer to arrive early in the morning.

On the way home, the flight leaves Bangkok for L.A. in the late afternoon/early evening. I usually leave my Bangkok apartment building around 4PM for the airport. Happy Travels!

NeoPatrick Jul 30th, 2010 06:38 AM

Planning a One World pass to Asia which I'm leaving on today, I originally assumed when I completed the whole thing in Bangkok, I'd be returning via LAX to Miami (Naples), but suddenly found out that it was much easier and shorter to fly from Bangkok to London to Miami. I'd assume it is quite similar to Atlanta. I never realized how much closer Bangkok is to Miami by going West from Bangkok than by going East from there.

filmwill Jul 30th, 2010 07:10 AM

As with Guen, I've also flown the LAX-BKK direct flight on Thai Air multiple times...and also prefer to get in to Bangkok early in the morning.

I find that (and I know it sounds crazy) if you're on the overnight flight and you can sleep for a majority of the time (I take a sleeping pill usually--and sleep on average 8 to 10 hours on that flight) that when we get to Bangkok, you've almost tricked your body into thinking it was an overnight flight.

I can usually make it through the entire first day with no problems at all and get extremely tired around 7 or 8 PM, crash for the night and wake up the next day feeling great and almost on a normal schedule again.

Have also flown via Taipei (on EVA) and that flight gets in a bit later in the the morning (around 10:30/11 AM) and usually have a similar experience as well on that route.

Guenmai Jul 31st, 2010 08:48 PM

By arriving early morning I get a LOT more done. I do all of the grocery shopping and always have my Thai friends drop by the apartment on my arrival day. Then we usually go to the grocery store together so that I can shop faster...not have to turn all the canned good cans around to the side where it's printed in English. LOL!

Then they help me schlep all of the grocery bags home and put the groceries away and then we go to the bank, go out to eat, and then catch up on the news. They usually stay at my place until around 8PM and then I'm ready to go to sleep.

I don't sleep on planes, so when it's time for me to finally go to sleep, I really sleep. Then I naturally wake up, the next morning, when the helicopter flies past my window delivering people to work at the building on the opposite side of Sukhumvit. It's a great alarm clock system. I go out on my terrace, nearly every morning, and watch them land on the roof landing spot of their building. Then my day begins. LOL! Happy Travels!


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