Compare Thailand flights

Direct flights from Heathrow take between 11 hours 25 minutes and 11 hours 30 minutes. The quickest indirect journeys take around 13 hours, but some can stretch to a day or more – which can be fine if you're able to turn it into an enjoyable overnight stay. Stopover locations vary widely, from nearby hubs such as Paris and Amsterdam to Middle Eastern and Asian ones such as Doha, Dubai and Beijing.

It is very much worth stopping over, and indeed, you may not have much choice; direct flights are only available from London Heathrow. However, even if you’re near London, there are still huge savings to be made by booking an indirect flight.

Popular stopover locations for Bangkok include:

• Beijing: Stopping in the Chinese capital will mean you get most of your journey out of the way early on, with the first leg lasting around 10 hours and the second around 5 hours. If you’ve got some time here, try to see the Imperial Palace and Forbidden City.

• Doha: Doha splits the flight roughly down the middle, giving you a leg of around 7 hours each side. Planning a longer stopover will give you time to get out of the airport and go shopping in the city's upscale malls.

Bangkok is huge, and its atmosphere varies enormously from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. If – like many visitors to Bangkok – you’re backpacking or just passing through, you may want to look for accommodation around Khao San Road, where cheap hostels (and cheap bars) are everywhere you turn.

Or if money’s no object, one of the luxury hotels dotted along the picturesque riverside area might be for you. Take a look at our Bangkok holiday page to search for flight and hotel packages.

Wherever you’re based, hitting the big sights, such as the Grand Palace, the Bangkok National Museum, and Chatuchak Market, will be easy, as taxis are cheap and plentiful. Having access to a vehicle of your own is not necessary for journeys made within the city itself, and the hectic traffic on the main roads means you might actually feel more comfortable in the back than in the driver’s seat. But if you’re planning trips further afield, hiring a car can be useful.