Utapao International Airport. Utapao Airport in Pattaya - how to get from Utapao to Pattaya and back. Information for transit passengers

Utapao Airport is located 40 km from Pattaya. It serves military and civilian flights.

The proximity to the capital determines the strategic importance of the air hub. It lies not only in transport support tourist flow.

Utapao Airport on the map

Utapao is also an alternative to Don Muang, as well as component Thailand's air force infrastructure.

Utapao in the transport system of Thailand

Historically, Utapao is not just an airport for hundreds of thousands of incoming tourists. The name that was given to the air port belonged to the nearby military town.

The airport was built for the Royal Thai Air Force and was used as military base. During the Vietnam War, the Thais provided it to service US military aircraft that bombed Vietnam from the air. In the future, the airport will undergo modernization.

When there was no Suvarnabhumi yet, and the tourist flow of Thailand already significantly exceeded the capabilities of Don Muang, Utapao took over the functions of servicing civil aircraft. In any case, this applied to Pattaya and, in general, Rayong.

Utapao Airport video

In 2008, when, as a result of the political crisis in Thailand, both capital airports were blocked for 10 days and did not receive/departure aircraft, Utapao saved the Thai tourism industry from paralysis and became the country's main air port for the entire period. It retains its significance as a military airfield throughout its existence. It is still under the control of the Thai Ministry of War.

Airport characteristics

The airport is international and meets standards. Equipped with one runway 3.5 km long, covered with tarmac. Accepts all types of aircraft, including large representatives of the A380 series from Airbus.

There is one passenger terminal. Capacity – 400 people. The airport operates standard services:

shops (groceries, gifts, duty free, jewelry);
cafes and internet cafes;
Thailand Post Office;
taxi ordering;
parking.

Flights served

Domestic flights account for approximately half of all flights received by the airport each week. The following airlines operate on domestic routes in Thailand:

Bangkok Airways
Thai Air Asia
Kanair Lines

Flights are carried out daily and several times a day to the following destinations:

Udon Thani
Chiang Mai
Hat Yai
Phuket
Samui

International regular flights are operated by Thai Air Asia and connect Thailand with southern cities of China, including Singapore and Macau, as well as with the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.

Charter flights to Pattaya arrive from the following cities in Russia:

Belgorod
Moscow
Samara
Irkutsk

Passengers traveling on a charter route to Phuket can make a transfer in Utapao.

reference Information

Address: Phla, Ban Chang, Rayong 21130
Airport website: www.utapao.com
Phone: 038-245595

By highway the path takes:

to Pattaya – 40 minutes;
to Rayong – 35 min.

There is a minibus shuttle to Pattaya. The fare is $7. Ordering a taxi from the airport will cost $20. For $15 you can take a taxi waiting outside.

Address: Phla, Ban Chang, Rayong 21130
Official name: U-TAPAO
IATA code: UTP
ICAO code: VTBU
Official website: utapao.com

Utapao Airport began its activities in the 60s of the last century. Initially he played the role gas station, and also served as a base for American soldiers during the war with neighboring Vietnam. Over time, the base was reconstructed and re-equipped for domestic airport, which later received international status. Today, the air complex has at its disposal the longest runway in all of Thailand, 3.5 kilometers long. Such characteristics make it possible to accept aircraft all categories, including Airbus A380.

U-Tapao Airport location map:

Utapao airport map

The airport has a single passenger terminal. It serves passengers on both domestic and international flights. The terminal infrastructure is very well developed, and it’s not difficult to navigate either, since there are signs in English around the entire perimeter.

For the convenience of passengers, there is an information desk, food outlets, various shops (including souvenir shops), there is a Duty Free zone, a post office, ATMs, and a counter for ordering a taxi.

The terminal can simultaneously accommodate up to 400 people. All flight information is provided electronic displays located in the main hall.

The departure area occupies most of the terminal and is located on the left side. Before going to the check-in counters, you must go through a baggage inspection. This standard procedure applies to all airports in Thailand.

There is also a Tax Free window in the departure area. It allows you to return VAT on goods purchased in Thailand. Their cost must exceed 2,000 baht and a properly filled out receipt is required.

Arriving passengers are served on the right side of the terminal. There is also a travel agency here that offers services for booking hotels or ordering excursions of any subject. In front of the building there is a parking lot for 100 spaces.

Please note that there is no Wi-Fi zone at the airport. If desired, passengers can visit an Internet cafe and use a desktop computer.

Online scoreboard of U-tapao airport:

Most of the flights served by Utapao are domestic. Main directions:

Hat Yai;
Samui:
Udon Thani;
Phuket;
Chiang Mai.

Depending on the direction, flights can be operated either daily or just a few times a week. Utapao Airport operates with the following airlines:

Bangkok Airways;
Kanair Lines;
Thai AirAsia.

Almost everything international flights operated by Thai Air Asia. She sends her planes to southern cities China, Malaysia, Singapore and Macau.

IN high season the airport accepts some charters from Russian cities. Data for 2016 indicate that air communication with Moscow, Belgorod, Irkutsk, Samara and Ufa was established. Such flights were operated by:

UTair Aviation;
Nordwind Airlines;
Ikar Airlines.

You can search for flights from Russia to U-Tapao airport:

How to get from the airport to Pattaya

From Pattaya airport Utapao is no more than 30 kilometers away. Despite the fact that there is no public transport here, there are problems in getting to the desired hotel and it shouldn't happen back. There are several most popular moving options, each of which has its own characteristics and disadvantages.

Bus (minivans)

This is perhaps one of the easiest ways to travel. At the exit, many smiling Thais appear in front of passengers, offering their transport services. The cost of the trip to the hotel is 250 baht (small changes are possible).

The only drawback of such transport is that you have to wait until the minivan is completely filled. And this can take 10 minutes or an hour. Minibuses (as they are also called) deliver tourists to hotels. It is worth considering that the trip may take a little longer, since no one guarantees that your hotel will be among the first.

Minivans are great for those traveling alone or as a couple. This good way save on travel. When you come with a large family, you can always rent a car in full and not wait until it is completely full.

Taxi from U-Tapao Airport to Pattaya

The most comfortable and fastest travel option is, of course, ordering a taxi. Firstly, the car will be waiting for you when the plane arrives, and secondly, you won’t have to waste time waiting for the minivan to fill up. Plus, this significantly saves time on the road, since from the airport you will go straight to your hotel.

It is convenient and profitable to order a taxi via the Internet. Recently, Kiwitaxi has become increasingly popular. By placing an order on the website, you can be sure that you will be met and taken to the appointed place. Finding the driver at the exit will not be difficult, as he will be waiting for you with a sign in his hands with your name on it. Kiwitaxi offers different services and cars. For those traveling with a child, a car seat can be provided. The cost of the trip depends on the distance of the hotel, but, as a rule, varies within 1000 baht.
Also approximate prices from U-tapao airport:

to Rayong from RUR 2,579
in Ban Phe Pier from 3,070 rub.
in Ban Phe from 2,702 rub.
in Laima-Ngopa Pier Trata from 7,183 rub.
to Hua Hin from RUR 9,086
to Bangkok from RUR 4,912
to Suvarnabhumi Airport from RUR 4,421

In order to travel to reverse direction, that is, from the hotel to the airport, you can use the same methods, as well as transfer. You can always order a minivan at any travel agency, which is located on all Pattaya beaches.

At a distance of 40 kilometers from Pattaya there is a very small but cozy Utapao airport, which has official international status. The building is located almost on the route federal highway called Sukhumvit Road. The distance to the state capital is decent - about 140 kilometers. The low intensity of passenger traffic at the airport is due to its location in the first air wing of the royal troops.

The official name of the airport in Pattaya is U-Tapao International. To track arrivals and departures, you can use a special online scoreboard. Thanks to it, you can see the flights being carried out in real time and will always know exact time arrivals and departures. Below I placed such a board.

Airport map

The airport is located in close proximity to the popular and beautiful tourist place Thailand - Sattahip Beach. Views from coastline beaches are distinguished by their extraordinary and bewitching beauty.

The airport occupies only one floor, has one passenger terminal and a capacity of no more than 400 people.

Utapao Airport in Pattaya includes the following units:

Two departure zones and one arrival zone.
Departure lounge and arrival hall.
Reseption.
Luggage storage.
Airport collection area.
Information desk for passengers and greeters.
Toilets in the waiting and arrival halls.
Medical Center.
An area with small shops.
Zone Catering, ATMs and currency exchange.

All airports in the world that meet international standards require a retail outlet in the building. Duty Free. At Utapao Airport it is located between the arrival and departure areas of passengers.

Tourists can use additional services, which are provided in the airport building itself - a free wi-fi zone throughout Utapao, a travel agency, selection and booking of hotels and transfers. Rentals are also available personal car, and on the street you can take advantage of offers from local taxi drivers.

Arrivals area

The arrival area at Utapao Airport is small. Upon arrival, all passengers go through passport control and receive your luggage. Lost luggage often occurs; in this case, lost items counters are located in the arrivals area. If the passenger could not find his luggage, then special service employees will help to correctly fill out a receipt for lost luggage.

Such force majeure events are not uncommon at the airport, so the search service works very quickly. Usually, things are returned to the passenger no later than 1-2 days after arrival in Thailand. I myself once encountered such a situation; my suitcase was found 2 days later and brought straight to my hotel.

Departure area

The departure zone is almost 2 times more zone arrival. At the entrance to the departure area there is organized Big hall for registration, meeting international standards, for example, metal detector frames. In the departure area there is a large online board with up-to-date information on all flights for the near future.

In the departure area there is a special reception desk that handles VAT refunds. It is located under the Vat Refund sign. Not far from this counter, airport staff weigh luggage and pack it for the flight.

How to exchange and withdraw money?

There are ATMs and a currency exchange office in the passenger arrivals hall. All ATMs in Thailand are similar in appearance to Russian ones; ATM is written on them. Please note that Thai ATMs charge a fixed fee (180-200 baht) for cash withdrawals. Cash withdrawal limits are usually set at 20-30 thousand baht.

All international airports are equipped with currency exchange offices. The higher the denomination of the dollar currency, the more favorable the exchange rate. But in the airport building and hotels the exchange rate is often the most unfavorable, so it is better to change large amounts in the city.

How to get to Pattaya?

Most often, taxis and transfers make their trips only up to two resort towns- Pattaya and Rayong. It is also possible to get to any place without reaching these two resorts. The cost of the transfer is almost 2 times lower due to the package for one trip more people (usually the number of people in a minibus is from 6 to 12).

There are several ways to get from Utapao Airport to the cities of Pattaya and Rayong:

Taxi;
rented car;
hotel transfer;
minibass

The distance from the airport to Rayong is just over 30 kilometers, and to Pattaya - almost 40 kilometers. Therefore, the cost of taxis and transfers is quite high. If you use the services of local taxi drivers, they will charge you a fee of 1000 baht.

You can rent a car with the help of transport companies, small branches of which are located in the form of counters in several parts of the passenger arrivals area at Utapao Airport. The average cost of a car per day is about 850 baht.

Regular airport transfers are minibuses similar to large ones minibuses.

The most popular and inexpensive way to get from the airport to Pattaya is to use early booking transfer on the website.

Travel agencies immediately arrange a transfer when booking a trip, the price of which already includes transportation to the desired resort from the airport.

Exact location Utapao airport, see on the map.

Many tourists who have vacationed within the Pattaya resort more than once still have no idea that there is an international airport nearby. The cost of direct charter flights from Utapao is significantly lower compared to offers from the capital's Suvurnabhumi Airport.

Before writing this post, I compiled the top popular queries in Yandex, my personal knowledge, and looked through the websites of my colleagues. I just looked at what they usually write about when asked. It seemed interesting that most articles about the airport in U-Tapao begin with a historical note, although not even a hint of the history of the airport in Pattaya was ever mentioned in the top queries. In short, we’ll start from the opposite direction and on my blog you will first get answers to your questions and only at the end of the post will I write a little about the airport itself.

Usually I place a map of an object at the end of the article, as an addition to the main information, taking into account the fact that not every reader goes into SO much detail that he is ready to master all these buttons for zooming and switching map layers. But in the case of U-Tapao Airport, the card must be presented to you first, and for this reason.

Between resort town Pattaya and U-Tapao airport are almost forty kilometers away. For most novice tourists, this turns out to be the discovery of the century, but these are the realities: there is no Utapao airport in Pattaya. And 40 km is a distance that can no longer be covered on foot, by metro or tuk-tuk, so you have to choose between four main options for the U-Tapao-Pattaya transfer.

How to get from Utapao to Pattaya and back

There are four main ways to get from Utapao to Pattaya and back: taxi, regular transport, minibus shuttle or train. All points, regardless of their headings, imply that the methods of travel and the price of transfer “there” are exactly the same as “back”. I just don’t want to rewrite “Utapao Airport - Pattaya” and “Pattaya - Utapao Airport” a hundred times. I will definitely tell you about rare differences.

Train

Six kilometers from the terminal there is the Ban Phlu Ta Luang railway station, from which train No. 284 departs daily at 13:35 for Bangkok. In Pattaya it stops at 14:20, but just in case, always check the timetable on the Royal Thai Railway website.

The method is very amateurish and can be used only once a day, plus you will still need to somehow travel these six kilometers from the airport, but it’s around 100-150 baht. Just don’t be alarmed by the increase in transfer costs, because train tickets cost 27, 14 and 6 baht for 1, 2 and 3 class carriages, respectively. Six baht, Karl! Return train No. 283 from Pattaya to Ban Phlu Ta Luang station departs the same way every day at 10:35 and arrives at 11:20.

Regular Thai transport

Large multi-colored buses and white minibuses with Thai inscriptions of their destinations regularly run along Sukhumvit Road: Chonburi-Pattaya-Utapao-Rayong. Used to transport the local population, with corresponding prices. And in order not to compete with tourist shuttles, there are no signs in English on such buses. Perhaps on the windshields of large buses, but you will have to identify the small white mikriki with your eyes.

They travel frequently, once every 5-15 minutes. Stops with a wave of the hand or at stops public transport. The price of the trip is 50-60 baht, it takes a long time to travel because they stop at every stop.

You will have to get off 3.5 km from the terminal, the rest of the way is covered by a tuk-tuk or motorcycle taxi, which are on duty in the area of the turn to the airport, the cost of the trip is about 100 baht. In total, this turns out to be cheaper than any minibass at 250.

Private minibus shuttle

There are several private companies that transport passengers from U-Tapao to Pattaya by minibus, including the popular low-cost airline Air Asia, which sells two options for air tickets to Pattaya: destination Pattaya and Pattaya-Downtown, which you can choose at the stage of booking your ticket on the carrier's website. The transfer fee (210 baht) is automatically included in the ticket price. But, if your company has two or more passengers, then it will be more profitable to take a taxi. Moreover, Air Asia does not provide transfers throughout Pattaya, but only to the Central Festival shopping center, which is located in the city center.

Here is the button to order a transfer from Air Asia

Upon arrival at U-Tapao Airport, at the exit from the arrivals area you will see the Aireiji counter, where you need to present your ticket to the employee. After this, you will be taken to the minibus and in 40 minutes you will find yourself near the Central Festival in Pattaya. You won’t be able to buy a transfer separately - everything is tied to Air Asia tickets and flights. If you arrived without booking a transfer, then you can choose from any of the counters that offer minibus transfers from 250 baht per person. In principle, the shuttle is an option for singles. If you are traveling in a group of 3 or more people, and even with children, then it is more profitable to take a taxi.

Taxi Utapao-Pattaya

A taxi from Utopao Airport to Pattaya and back costs from 800-1000 baht. You can rent a car upon arrival at the counters in the arrivals hall. On the Internet they ask for up to 3,000 baht for a private transfer from all sorts of incomprehensible services that pop up during an active search on the Internet. Therefore, if the task is to order a car in advance, then it is better to take it from a trusted Kiwitaxi (here).

KiwiTaxi's price tag is so-so, to be honest. Look at the price, it starts from about 1400 baht per car, an ordinary sedan. There are also a number of private drivers who can be found in any community social network on the topic “Pattaya”, from 800 baht for a sedan for 4 passengers to 1800 baht for a nine-passenger minibus. But if you want to pay online and with a large service, so that you can be guaranteed a meeting with a sign at the airport, then this is Qiwi. So let's say, for those who don't care much about price.

Car rental

40 km is not a distance for which it’s worth renting a car, but I’ll still add this method. Because if you want to actively drive around the surrounding area, it is better to take the car directly at the airport and then drop it off there. I said and I will repeat again, on short time it is better to rent a car through large network rental companies, which are present only at airports and major cities. Very detailed information about all the nuances of car rental in Thailand.

In order not to go through the sites of rental companies one after another, it is best to use a service that will immediately display all offers from everyone. You order and there is a car waiting for you upon arrival.

Map of U-Tapao airport and its infrastructure

Due to the fact that the airport was originally built for the needs of the military, U-Tapao looks more like a village airport than a major center communications with reception of international flights and high throughput. Very roughly speaking, two-thirds of the room is occupied by the check-in and departure area, and one-third by the arrival area.

The airport infrastructure includes a Duty Free zone, shops, a food court, an exchange office, SIM card and rental car counters and parking. Taxis are clustered near the exit from the arrivals area. Everything is located very compactly; you don’t need to receive any special instructions for surviving at Utapao airport.

Utapao online scoreboard

When it comes to traveling to Pattaya, most tourists remember Suvarnabhumi airport, through which most of the passenger traffic passes. Few people know that the small Utapao Airport in Pattaya also hosts international flights.

The opening of the US Air Force base in U-Tapao during the Vietnam War laid the foundation for the development and prosperity of the tourist area in this district. To this day, the Thai Navy base is located here, which causes the airport to have low passenger traffic. In 2008, due to opposition unrest that caused a blockade of the country's main air hubs, the airport in Utapao took over the mission of the state's main air port.

In the coming years, the Thai government plans to reconstruct the airport in order to expand its area and attract more passengers.

Airport characteristics

The airport area is about 25 hectares. Its daily passenger flow is no more than 400 passengers. You can find Utapao Airport on the map 140 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. The address of the institution is as follows: Phla, Ban Chang, Rayong 21130, Thailand. The official website of Utapao Airport: www.utapao.com has display options in Thai and English.

Routes from Utapao

Although few people know where Utapao Airport is located, it serves flights to 18 destinations under the auspices of 16 airlines. Most of them are international flights and charters, however there are also domestic flights. Among the foreign destinations are China, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, as well as Russia.

Russian flights are usually charter and seasonal. Most of them come from the Siberian and central parts of Russia. The airport also accepts charters from Kazakhstan. Residents of Russia can get to Utapao using the services of S7 Airlines, Nordwind Airlines, Utair and Ikar Airlines. The big advantage of the airport is low prices to low-cost airlines.

Airport structure

Utapao Airport has two terminals: international and domestic. In addition to receiving passengers, the airport carries out repairs and control of ships traveling to other destinations in Thailand. After the planned reconstruction, the number of passengers passing through Utapao annually is expected to increase to 3 million people.

The online scoreboard of Utapao Airport is located on its official website, and is also available in electronic form on major resources specializing in such data. The display contains information about the exact time of departure and arrival of aircraft, as well as the current status of the flight. Passengers are provided with a duty-free shop, post office and internet cafe, as well as free wi-fi, shop jewelry and a restaurant. At the entrance to the airport terminal there is a parking lot where you can rent a car. For those wishing to stay overnight in the vicinity of the airport, there is a travel agency on its territory with the possibility of booking rooms in hotels and inns.

The airport terminal building houses the arrival and departure halls and the check-in counter. Inside there are also:

bathrooms;
first aid station;
baggage claim area;
and a currency exchange office.

Information can be obtained by going to the appropriate counter. In general, despite its compact size, the airport is designed in a convenient way and accommodates all the necessary premises and structures.

How to get to Utapao Airport

If you ask any traveler about Utapao, where this place is located, not everyone will answer. In fact, the air hub is located forty kilometers from Pattaya and has international status. In addition to civilian commercial flights, the air hub also serves military flights. Its unpopularity is largely due to its distance from the capital of Thailand - Bangkok.

The distance of the air hub from Pattaya and Bangkok significantly affects the cost of travel to it.

Most in a budget way travel to or from Utapao Airport to nearby settlements is travel by minibus, which regularly travels to Pattaya and back.

Check-out occurs as the minivan fills up. The cost of the journey will be about 25 baht. In fact, this type of trip is no different from the route taxi familiar to Russian citizens.

You can buy a transfer at street travel agencies, which are located in abundance in Thailand. In addition, you can include such a trip in the price of your trip before flying to Utapao or book a seat on specialized websites. Rent will cost about 850 baht. Cars are located in the parking lot at the entrance to the airport terminal. In the building itself you can find stands where car rental companies offer their services. This method is suitable for those who are not afraid to drive in an unfamiliar country.

You can also rent a taxi to Pattaya right outside the airport terminal. The trip will take up to 50 minutes and cost about 1,000 baht. If you wish, you can pre-order an airport transfer service, in which a taxi driver will be ready to meet the passenger in the aircraft arrival area. Various transfers are available on booking sites for similar services. They are suitable for large companies, families with children, and travelers with bulky luggage.

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