Need advice: Flight leaving BKK to go home at 10:55pm Sunday on JAL. Tentative plan is to be in Chiang Mai at the end of the trip and fly to BKK early that evening around 7pm. Should this be OK? Alternative is to shift schedule, going to Chiang Mai one day earlier in the trip from BKK, then back to BKK on Saturday and have the final day in BKK. Am reluctant to do this because of the time wasted going back and forth to the airport but of course don't want to risk missing flight home.

If it were me, I'd want to spend my final day in Bangkok. This is because I have had the experience of missing a connection in Bangkok (to another domestic flight) when mechanical difficulties delayed my flight into Bangkok. If you don't want to waste a lot of time going back and forth to the airport, consider staying in a hotel near the airport.

If you are going to fly in the same day, I'd schedule the flight from Chiang Mai for earlier so you have at least one flight after your scheduled flight to assure you make your flight home.

you don't want to fool around with international flights...i would return to bkk on sat....i always like my last day in bkk anyways to do last minute things like picking up purchases etc...i have things held for departure so i don't have to carry them around with me during my trip

I had the same dilemma, although I'm flying on ANA. Decided to come back to BKK one day early. Leaving CHM for a 4 hour cnnx before my flight home, I can say that I'll be going all day and won't mind sitting at the airport, but that'll change. Even though I never flag in the late afernoon and have no problem staying up till midnight, since I'll know that I HAVE to stay up, I'll suddenly be exhausted just before the flight leaves out of CHM and will wonder WHY I did that! So for my peace of mind, I'll spend an additional day in BKK. Beg for a late checkout, or just have them hold my bags until it's time to go to the airport. Meanwhile I'll sightsee or spend the last day of my vacation relaxing. Which is as it should be!