UK Travellers,via Bangkok or Singapore?

[dawsey]

Just interested to know ,do the guys travelling from Heathrow prefer to go to Phuket via Bangkok or Singapore?

I ask, as my first trip I went via Singapore using Singapore Airlines.The transfer went smoothly and SilkAir from Singapore to Phuket was a pleasant flight.What I didn't like, was seeing Phuket pass under me as I watched the seatback TV screen.I had to go 1.5hrs past Phuket only to go back.Surely via Bangkok is a quicker route?
I notice most members go via Bangkok either Thai Air,Eva Air or BA.
I have no wish to use BA (sorry Steve!) as I find they are overpriced.Hopefully the direct flight to Phuket mooted by Eva Air from Gatwick may have started by next April.

Also,ticket prices seem to vary an awful lot.I booked my trip during Sept for the following April,(using ebookers.com) and was charged £661 per seat.Do you find it cheaper to leave the flight booking until after Xmas or use one of the many online seat sales that are on offer after Xmas?I have noticed a saving of up to £200 per seat depending on when you book.
Cheers for any info.I just want to get it right this trip before I book again.

[Coolhand]

Dawsey,
This is my own situation, it may not suit everyone.
I work fairly close to Heathrow Airport, so the BA flight to BKK is ideal at 10pm I don't have to take an extra days holiday to travel to airport.
Leave work on Friday afternoon travel to Heathrow T4. Check bags through to Phuket, go through security, and have a few scoops at Weatherspoons.
Get on flight, take off have a gin and tonic or two. They serve the meal (chicken or beef!) drink some wine, after dinner have a sticky or two then Zonko. Wake up in time for breakfast and land at BKK at 3 pm-ish but my body thinks it is 8 am.
Go through immigration, and the Bamgkok death march to the domestic terminal and check in for thai air flight to BKK. Go to Smoking Bar in domestic departures to have a smoke, a few carlsbergs and delete all the text messages on my mobile, welcoming me to Thailand.
Board the flight that leaves about 5:30pm and get into Phuket around half past six. Get my suitcase and clear customs, get o Phuket around 8 pm. Have a shave, shower, etc and hit the town around 9pm ( body thinks its 2 pm) . Have a great night and when thinks are starting to slow down at 3 am body still thinks its 8 pm......

Going home is just as easy: arrange late check out from hotel, get late afternoon flight from HKt to BKK (having checked bags all the way through to LHR). Arrive BKK got to bar with outside terrace until check in opens. Go straight to no luggage check in (if they don't open this then blagg a check in at business class counter)
Follow same procedure for Heathrow airport, get on flight and sleep, arrive at heathrow at 5:30 in the morning on Sunday. Home by 8am, and thats stopping for a bacon sarnie. You have all Sunday to recover before work on Monday. Having said that I am considering arriving back on Monday morning and goinfg straight to work.

How do other BMs deal wih this travel saga?

[Paddy]

I reckon you've definitely got to have that one day off at home before you go back down the saltmine, even though it does mean one less day of sanuk. Going straight into work off the plane, which I have had to do once, is a nightmare. Youre so disoriented that, by the end of that working day, you've almost forgotten you were on holiday!

As for flying out, I reckon BKK has to be the only sensible option. It doesn't take too long to get from the international to the domestic terminal (about 10 mins walk, I reckon) and there are always loads of onward flights to Phuket, so you can just buy a ticket on the next available flight. Going to Singapore must add more time to the total journey.

[r3aps]

Originally Posted by dawsey

Just interested to know ,do the guys travelling from Heathrow prefer to go to Phuket via Bangkok or Singapore?

I ask, as my first trip I went via Singapore using Singapore Airlines.The transfer went smoothly and SilkAir from Singapore to Phuket was a pleasant flight.What I didn't like, was seeing Phuket pass under me as I watched the seatback TV screen.I had to go 1.5hrs past Phuket only to go back.Surely via Bangkok is a quicker route?
I notice most members go via Bangkok either Thai Air,Eva Air or BA.
I have no wish to use BA (sorry Steve!) as I find they are overpriced.Hopefully the direct flight to Phuket mooted by Eva Air from Gatwick may have started by next April.

Also,ticket prices seem to vary an awful lot.I booked my trip during Sept for the following April,(using ebookers.com) and was charged £661 per seat.Do you find it cheaper to leave the flight booking until after Xmas or use one of the many online seat sales that are on offer after Xmas?I have noticed a saving of up to £200 per seat depending on when you book.
Cheers for any info.I just want to get it right this trip before I book again.

another option that i use is fly to hong kong then use orient thai to fly direct to phucket(2 hour flight).orient thai 1 way bought at hong kong is 120 quid.
steve

[Oli]

I always go via BKK. This time on Thai arriving BKK at 0600 and Thai down to HKT, arriving about 0930. I've managed to check in for the HKT flight in the international terminal and go by bus to the plane via Departure gate 7. It saves the death march! Do Immigration and Customs in HKT and I'm supping a cold one in the hotel by 1130. Roll on November!!

Regards
Oli.

[Bafana]

I always fly direct via Phuket - In fact I have never sampled the night life of Bankok or Pattaya as I visited Phuket first nad liked it so much