U-Tapao

Formerly a US airbase and largely responsible for Pattaya's initial transformation, U-Tapao (UTP - tel. +66-38245295) is the closest airport fielding commercial passenger flights - but only to three destinations. Often decribed as "Pattaya Airport", it's actually at Sattahip, just off the main Sattahip - Chanthaburi highway, 30 km south of Pattaya.

Schedules (all daily, as at January 1st 2006):

Bangkok Airways (PG) flies to/from Ko Samui (USM) and Phuket (HKT) - UTP-USM & USM-UTP flights are usually slightly less expensive than BKK-USM & USM-BKK flights

- PG272 - UTP (12:10) to HKT (13:50)
- PG271 - HKT (14:20) to UTP (16:00)
- PG252 - HKT (09:20) via USM (10:40) to UTP (11:40)
- PG285 - USM (13:10) to UTP (14:10)
- PG286 - UTP (14:40) to USM (15:40)
- PG284 - UTP (16:30) to USM (17:30)

PMTair (U4) flies to/from Siem Reap (REP) (Angkor, Cambodia)

- U4241 - REP (11:00) to UTP (12:00)
- U4242 - UTP (12:30) to REP (13:30)

When booking flights to U-Tapao consider pre-booking onward transport at the same time, as competitively priced door-to-door transfer services may not be available on arrival at U-Tapao on an ad-hoc basis.

The easiest way to transfer between U-Tapao and Pattaya is by direct door-to-door minibus - driving time is normally about 30 minutes (200-250 baht per person for pre-booked services).

If speed and convenience don't matter, the ad-hoc option is to hop on virtually any bus on Sukhumvit Road. Going south, if it's a bus that terminates at Sattahip you'll have to swap buses or finish the journey by songthaew; if it's going further east (eg Rayong, Chanthaburi or Trat) it'll drop you off at the airport entrance as it goes by. Going north, wait for a bus that's going further than Sattahip and then you won't need to transfer. Alternatively, the white songthaews that ply Sukhumvit Road between Pattaya and Sattahip charge just 20 baht.

Or to buck the trend big time, go by rail (3rd class, weekdays only) between Pattaya and Sattahip, get off just before or after the line crosses Highway 3, and connect with the airport by songthaew or bus. The fare for the 40-50 minute train ride is 6 (yes, six!) baht - depart Pattaya 10:18, arrive Sattahip 11:00; depart Sattahip 13:30, arrive Pattaya 14:21 - but don't forget, no trains on Saturdays or Sundays.

Extracted from Wikipedia: U-Tapao

I wouldn't recommend that bus-swapping bit to a person who isn't well-seasoned at travelling on the cheap in LOS or that doesn't speak Thai relatively well

HI Braveheart

I would be really interested in flying on the route from Siem Reap to Pattaya - I live in Vientiane and it's relaitively easy to get to SR from here. Unfortunately, I could not a flight listing for SR to Pattaya on the PMTair website. Are you sure that PMT operate this service or do they intend to start this route at sometime in the future ??

Roderick

This post has been edited by roderick: Apr 27 2007, 06:38 AM

I'm not sure when the schedule inforamtion was current. I copied the information from Wikipedia/Wikitravel in January and I have no idea when it was posted there.

While I suppose it is possible that this is a proposed or future route it is just as likely that it is a discontinued route.

In your situation I would think there it is quicker and cheaper to fly from Vientiane to Bangkok as the difference in travel time to Pattaya is only about 45-50 minutes more coming from Bangkok as opposed to U-Tapao.

I went to Phuket in March with Airasia from Bangkok airport for 3700 baht return.The cheapest price from U-Tapao was over 5000 baht.As Braveheart said,its only about a 40 minutes difference the two aiports from Pattaya.I was quoted 600 baht to go to U-Tapao and its 800 baht to go to Bangkok so i think you may as well use Bangkok airport for domestic flights

I'd give this airport a miss as it's controlled by the military and not on the beaten path

I have used it quite a bit to fly to Phuket & Samui. But it is only Bangkok Airways that uses it for these routes and they seem to be pricing themselves out of the market. I did like the fact that it is only 30 min from Pats and fuck all traffic. But seems I am stuck with BKK now for the reasons stated.