Nok Air on approach to the airport
Photo by Anna Zvereva (CC BY-SA 2.0)

U-Tapao Airport

Airport for Pattaya & Rayong

U-Tapao airport, its full name being U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya international airport, serves a growing number of domestic and international destinations. The airport opened in 1966. It was built to serve as an American air force base during the Vietnam War.

Airport expansion

U-Tapao is expanding to reduce congestion at Bangkok’s two airports, Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang, both operating beyond capacity. A second terminal has been built to increase the capacity of the airport. Terminal 2 opened in 2019. Plans exist to further increase the capacity of the airport. A second runway and a third terminal building will be constructed.

Airlines & destinations

Pattaya U-Tapao airport serves both domestic and international destinations.

Domestic
A number of Thai airlines including Nok Air, Thai Air Asia, Bangkok Airways and Thai Lion Air serve destinations as Koh Samui, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Udon Thani.

International
Several Russian and Chinese airlines serve destinations in Russia and China like Moscow and Beijing.

Military base
A section of U-Tapao serves as a military base for the Thai Navy.

Duty free shopping

For duty free shopping, go to King Power in the international arrivals and departures. The shop sells both Thai and international brands perfumes and cosmetics as Bvlgari, Calvin Klein, Dior, Prada and Giorgio Armani. Among the other products for sale are liquors, tobacco, souvenirs & Thai crafts, electronics, health products and Swarovski jewelry. The store opens daily from 6 am until 10 pm.

Restaurants & Coffee shops

Both terminals house restaurants and coffee shops. Among them are Ochaya tea, KFC, Auntie Anne’s, Eatery Gardens and Cafe Amazon.

Location

U-Tapao international airport is located on Sukhumvit road in Ban Chang district, Rayong province. It’s about 45 kilometers from Pattaya city center and 170 kilometers to downtown Bangkok.

Airport to Pattaya

There are several options to get from U-Tapao airport to Pattaya, including minivan and taxi. Go to the service desk in the arrivals hall to book the transfer. A shared minivan costs 250 Baht one way. A private taxi will come to about 700 Baht. The transfer will take about 45 minutes.