tnnc

How much time is needed between domestic flights? For example, if I took a flight from Mae Hong Song to Chiang Mai arriving at 12:05, could I then catch a Bangkok Airways flight to Samui at 13:00?

JamesA

Should be fine but tricky example, if you fly in from mae Hong Son that would be on the Thai partner so they might not be able to check your baggage onto Bangkok Airways and unless something very new Bangkok Airways doesn't fly direct from Chiang Mai to Samui it would be a flight change in BKK.
Many years back arriving at Samui airport 50 minutes before the flight was told by a none too pleasant check in clerk that check in was '1 hr' ( this for a domestic to BKK. If you reckon on getting your baggage off the Mae Hong Son arrival and then wander around to Bangkok Airways check-in that would but you about 35-40 mins before their departure.

I honestly couldn't say. If you were arriving on the Thai partner and connecting to BKK then no problems at all as this quite normal ( as there are no direct flights Mae Hong Son to BKK the routing for all passengers is via CM and those flights are operated to connect to/from the BKK flights ).
You might be better off using Thai all thru to BKK and then change to Bangkok Airways.

tnnc

oops- I meant to write take a flight from Mae Hong Song to Chiang Mai on Thai, arrive at 12:05, and then take a flight from Chiang Mai to BKK on Thai, and then flight from BKK to Koh Samui on Bangkok Air. Do we need to check in 1 hr. early for all of those flights? Is it do-able in one day? AND is the cost to fly to Samui really $600 roundtrip for 4-seems expensive!

JamesA

No you are fine for that connection at Chiang Mai, as said, those Mae Hong Son flights are timed to connect with the BKK flights so absolutely nothing to worry about there. I would try and arrive 1 hour before the flight although Mae Hong Son is a very quioet little airport as not many flights, you don't want to have a problem if delayed.

BKK-Samui USD 600 for 4 return, that's $150 each which is B 6,000, yeh, normally it's about B 7,500 return, some promotions are less, like B 4,000 (US$ 100) but at particular time of year, check the Bangkok Airways website and see if the 2,000 each way promotion is on during your dates, note there is a B 400 ($10) domestic departute tax from Koh Samui.
You airport tax from Mae Hong Son will be included in your ticket, nominal, about 50 cents, but the one from Samui is high.

Bangkok Airways is only airline that flies to Samui hence the fares.

JamesA

Sorry forget the last part of your question. if you leave Chaing Mai on the 1300 flight it will arrive bangkok 1410, collect baggage and go along to Bangkok Airways check-in, not sure the flight times but frequent, I wouldn't go for a 1500 departure, one around 1600 would mean no panic, you can relax, have a coffee or whatever. It's 1 hr from BKK to Samui if your flight is a Boeing 717 or 1 hr 30 if an ATR-72 turbo prop, so if you get a flight around 1530/1600 you will be in Samui latest by 5.30 pm so yes do-able.
You only have short hops as the Mae Hong Son-CM is what I think some people call a puddle-jumper, in this case 30 mins about in the air. Then just 1 hr 10 to BKK and either 1 hr or 1 hr 30 into Samui, I certainlt wouldn't considor the hassle/bother/cost of stopping in BKK for the night, simply not worth the hassle. Domestic air travel within Thailand is thankfully still a very easy, relaxed, smooth enviroment. You will get free snacks before your bangkok Airways flight, very decent service on all those sectors.

tnnc

JamesA thanks- I should have mentioned that 2 of the tickets to Samui are children, thus 1/2 price. I know Bangkok Air has the only flights, and I don't want to take the boat with kids. Another question-is Samui worth the air expense? I've been to Koh Samet, Hua Hin, Cha-am, Pattaya, Phuket. We may also be paying for 8 people total(4 kids) to fly to Samui, so cost is a concern. Seems like we flew to Phuket cheaper. Maybe I should post a separate Samui question, but I appreciate your response. Would Koh Chang be cheaper? I just worry it will be similar to Koh Samet.

JamesA

Ok as 2 kids that works out about right. Koh Chang is different from Samet but not 'that much'. There is more to do on Samui, it is of course as you no doubt realise from the other places you have been very tourist orientated, Chaweng is very Patong Beach, so that will give you an idea, but if you are looking for palm tress and beaches, swimming, restaurants and tourist shopping then fine.
There are cheaper ways to get there but it's probably not worth it if you don't want the boat trip anyway, e.g you can fly Thai to Surat Thani and boat from there, or bus, or take the Lomprayah Bus/Jet Cat via Chumhon, also stops at Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, but that would mean a 6 a.m BKK departure getting to Samui about 5 pm, that's about B 1,000 one way, so in the end not really worth it. Phuket flights are much cheaper as you have Nok Air, Thai Air Asia plus One-2-Go as budget carriers on the route, add the other 3 and there are 6 airlines doing the route.
Getting to Samet would be cheaper but it's just going to be a quieter Koh Chang really. Depends what you are after, if busy lively then Samui, if you want quiet place with a pool just for relaxing then maybe somewhere like Dolphin Bay ( 1 hr past Hua Hin ) is cheap and easy, but very very quiet ( great of course for those who want it quiet!)

JamesA

Got that the wrong way around, Koh Chang will be busier than Koh Samet. You can take the bus from BKK to Koh Chang which would be a lot cheaper than flights to Samui. Although Samui and Phuket are 'different' there are similarities. Perhaps if you can give an idea more on what you want out of the beach time we can see if Samui is going to be worth it. If you say which out of the beaches you'be been to you liked/why will be a guide to whether Samui would be what you are after.

tnnc

I'm looking for a tropical beach experience for the kids (different from New England beaches), maybe a trip to see the monkey "workers", nice beach with water they can swim in, don't really care for night life, but don't want too isolated. I was thinking of the Peace Resort or White House on Samui. I liked Phuket(the convenience of it), but could do without Patong Beach. I thought the water wasn't great at Hua Hin or Cha-am. Pattaya I wouldn't go back to. Koh Samet I wouldn't take the kids to. So I guess its betw. Phuket(again) or Samui. I'd like to try Samui b/c I've never been, and although I read your report about Phuket, I'm a little paranoid to take the kids there(if there were a possible reoccurance)

JamesA

I would perhaps then go for Samui, if you search you will find lots of recent reports on Samui. Chaeng and Lamai are busy, Bophut is quieter but still has easy access to Chaweng etc.

JamesA

Which month/s are you planning?

tnnc

July- probably after the 15th(when rates go up) because we have to go to Roi Et first and I'm not sure how long we'll be there.

JamesA

July won't be that busy but it starts to get packed on Samui from beginning of August as it is very popular with people from Europe.
I can't add anything more about PB Air to Roi Et except that they fly the Embraer 145 Regional twin-jets.