The only practical way of getting from Chiang Mai to Koh Samui is by plane. That’s because Chiang Mai is in Thailand’s hilly north, and Koh Samui is an island in the south. Since Bangkok Airways holds a monopoly on the route, it’s the only choice. The only decision you need to make is, do you want to fly nonstop, or would you mind changing planes in Bangkok?
In This Post
Why I Was Traveling
Following two weeks in Chiang Mai, I was supposed to be heading to Phuket. Unfortunately, I made a mistake when I booked my flight. I only discovered that when I attempted to check in on line.
What to do? All the flights departing for Phuket that day were fully booked. One thing led to another, and I ended up spending two more weeks in Chiang Mai. And I booked a flight to Koh Samui, the third stop on my itinerary. So I skipped Phuket altogether.
When it came to booking a flight to Koh Samui, it was an easy decision. Only one airline plied the route – Bangkok Airways. Furthermore, it offered only one nonstop flight a day. I had no desire to change planes in Bangkok! Otherwise, there would have been lots of flights to choose from.
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The Airbus A319
The Airbus A319 is a narrow-body, twin engine jet aircraft suitable for short to medium distance flights. Their maximum range is 6,900 kilometers or 4,300 miles.
The Airbus A319 is similar to an Airbus A320 except that its fuselage is a bit shorter. They first went into service in 1996.
Bangkok Airways has a fleet 23 aircraft. Included are 11 Airbus A319s, 10 ATR 72-600s, and two Airbus A320s.
Some of the airline’s A319s have a two a dual class configuration, and others have an all-economy class configuration.
My flight had a single-class configuration. It had 144 seats with a pitch of 31 inches and a width of 19.8 inches.
Key Bangkok Airways Airbus A319 Stats
- Flight Number: PG242
- Aircraft: Airbus A319
- Configuration: single aisle with three and three seating
- Number of Seats: 144
- Pitch of Seats: 31 inches
- Width of Seats: 19.8 inches
- My Seat: 3C (aisle)
- Boarding Time: 12.50 pm
- Scheduled Departure: 12.50 pm
- Actual Departure: 12.47 [m
- Scheduled Arrival: 14.35 pm
- Flight Time: 1 hours and 45 minutes
- Distance: 1,032 kilometers (641 miles)
The Pre-flight Experience
I had on-going difficulties with Grab drivers in Chiang Mai. They often cancelled on me after accepting my booking. I didn’t want that kind of drama when I had a flight to catch.
So when found a driver that seemed reliable, I asked for his card and booked him to drive me to the airport in advance.
As a bonus, he had studied abroad and spoke excellent English!
We chatted all the way to Chiang Mai Airport. And the trip to the airport didn’t take long. Before I knew it, we were pulling up to the terminal.
Since I had checked in on line, I only needed to drop off my bags before heading to security.
Because this was a domestic flight, I didn’t need to go through customs.
There were numerous food and beverage outlets as well as mini-marts and boutiques in the airport terminal.
Assuming there wouldn’t be an in-flight meal on such a short flight, I decided to find a place to have lunch. I was spoiled for choice!
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There were numerous food and beverage outlets, including burger joints and coffee houses.
I stopped at a place called Bread Hut and ordered a yummy rice plate with spicy beef and basil as well as a glass of orange juice. It was a set meal.
As a bonus, I was able to recharge my mobile device while I waited to board my flight from Chiang Mai to Koh Samui.
The time passed quickly. Before I knew it, it was time to board a Bangkok Airways Airbus A319 heading for Koh Samui, a place I’ve visited many times in the past. The island has an undeniable vibe!
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The In-flight ExperienceÂ
I hate waiting in line, so I was the last person to board my flight from Chiang Mai to Koh Samui. I was seated at 3C, an aisle seat near the front of the plane.
I didn’t realize when I booked my ticket that the middle seats of that row were blocked. What luck!Â
As it turns out, I didn’t need to have lunch before boarding the flight after all. I had forgotten that Bangkok Airways positioned itself as a “boutique” airline, serving in-flight meals on even the shortest of flights.
My lunch was chicken topped with a yummy gravy, with broccoli on the side.
I remember thinking that it was tastier than the meal I had been served on my Thai Airways business class flight on my way from Hong Kong to Bangkok a few weeks earlier.Â
The Post-flight Experience
I might have been the last person to board the flight in Chiang Mai, but since I was seated in the third row, I was one of the first passengers to get off the Bangkok Airways Airbus A319 at Samui Airport.
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An open-air shuttle bus was awaiting on the Samui Airport tarmac. It ferried us to the open-air terminal. What fun! It was almost like a aeronautical version of a ride at Disneyland!
No long walk through a lengthy concourse to reach the open-air Domestic Arrivals hall. In fact, it was a hop, skip, and a jump!
Since it was a domestic flight, I didn’t have to go through customs. Baggage Claim was just a short walk away.
I passed that familiar sign welcoming me to Samui Airport. So good to be back!
Surveying the crowd of greeters, I saw a young man holding a sign with my name on it. He drove me to Absolute Sanctuary. My six night Men’s Vitality program was about to begin!
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The Verdict
I wish that all flights could be this short! The Bangkok Airways Airbus A320 had a cheery interior, the flight attendants were friendly, and the lunch was a welcome surprise.Â
