Is U-Tapao a 'safe' airport?

[mockingbird]

Just a bit of background..

Before 2018 I hadn't been to Thailand in 5 years. Since 2018, I've spent about 70% of my time here on tourist visas/entensions obtained in my home country of Ireland.

I'm 47, and effectively retired, and have a demonstratable monthly property income of €4000.

 

I'm going back home start of November, and will apply for a tourist visa from home. I'll stay at home for about 5 weeks, and am then planning on spending 2 weeks in Kuala Lumpar. From kuala lumpar, I plan on flying into U-Tapao airport.

 

In the current climate, I would imagine I would be a target in the Bangkok airports, but have there been any reports of hassle at U-Tapao? I appreciate that it's a small airport, so maybe that's why I can't find any reports.

[ubonjoe]

I don't recall any reports of people having problems on entry at Utapao.

[NanLaew]

Yes, it looked OK last month insasmuch that the OP never came back with a horror story (yet).

[ExpatDraco]

It's probably the 'safest' airport you can fly into. It feeds Pattaya and according to Thailand know it alls, Pattaya isn't Thailand so the rules don't apply. :-)

[BritTim]

Historically, U-Tapao has been a good place to enter. That is, of course, subject to change without any prior notice. Good luck! Worst case, you would likely be returned to Kuala Lumpur, and could make arrangements to enter by land.

[darrendsd]

Hua Hin is a safe Airport if you want to consider it - they have flights 3-4 times a week

[bbi1]

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I don't recall any reports of people having problems on entry at Utapao.

Does anyone know which countries provide decent flight prices to Utapao airport? Last time I checked a few they were totally ridiculous prices. But I believe a lot of mainland Chinese arrive at that airport.

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Does anyone know which countries provide decent flight prices to Utapao airport?

I have no info about that. 

I have only checked for flights to countries within the region such as KL and Singapore.

[BritTim]

4 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Does anyone know which countries provide decent flight prices to Utapao airport? Last time I checked a few they were totally ridiculous prices. But I believe a lot of mainland Chinese arrive at that airport.

If flying into U-Tapao, do not look for direct flight options out of Europe or the US. You should get a flight to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, and book a separate flight from there to U-Tapao. Booked in advance, it can be done economically, though the connection time for the flight into U-Tapao may be long.

[baboon]

Sigh. How ridiculous is this thread? Not because of the OP's question, but because he needs to ask it in the first place. Why should he need to worry?

This place has gone mad when all a visa buys you is a chance to play the Immigration Lucky Wheel upon arrival.

[KC 71]

Yes


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[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Does anyone know which countries provide decent flight prices to Utapao airport? Last time I checked a few they were totally ridiculous prices. But I believe a lot of mainland Chinese arrive at that airport.

Thai Air Asia from KL.

There are a couple of flights from China too.

Not much choice really. 

 

[spiekerjozef]

8 hours ago, baboon said:

Sigh. How ridiculous is this thread? Not because of the OP's question, but because he needs to ask it in the first place. Why should he need to worry?

This place has gone mad when all a visa buys you is a chance to play the Immigration Lucky Wheel upon arrival.

Totally agree.

[scubascuba3]

Treads about the difficulty with immigration pop up continuously. Many answers are given but the questions continue to be asked about how to get into Thailand with a history of staying too long on tourist or Ed visas. It might be where's the best place nearby to apply or which entries are safe. Posters seem aware that Thai immigration has changed but they keep looking for work arounds.
I fairly sure that Thai immigration reads these threads and makes adjustments as needed. By writing about this consulate or entry point, just brings it into focus and expect changes. Earlier when changes were made to financial requirements in the bank were made, posters here and on YouTube had many workarounds. Change happened and their ideas quickly vanished. 
These are just my thoughts. 

The problem is Immigration make it up on the fly, i doubt they even understand why they are denying entry. Stopping people spending money in Thailand sounds stupid to me. They should concentrate on people coming from nearby asian countries who are taking local jobs i.e. cambodian construction site workers

[essox essox]

15 hours ago, darrendsd said:

Hua Hin is a safe Airport if you want to consider it - they have flights 3-4 times a week

and which airline flies INTO HUA HIN????

[sfokevin]

14 minutes ago, essox essox said:

and which airline flies INTO HUA HIN????

AirAsia has flights from KL to Hua Hin

[Lovethailandelite]

U-Tapao isn't an airport that is somewhere you think you will just fly in and not be scrutinised.It's an active military base. You cannot even get your luggage out of there without a full Xray-scan before heading out the exit. It isn't like Bangkok where just walk to one side of the scanners an be on your way.
It is quite a busy airport these days now the new terminal is open, with many Chinese flights arriving

[mockingbird]

1 hour ago, Lovethailandelite said:

U-Tapao isn't an airport that is somewhere you think you will just fly in and not be scrutinised.It's an active military base. You cannot even get your luggage out of there without a full Xray-scan before heading out the exit. It isn't like Bangkok where just walk to one side of the scanners an be on your way.
It is quite a busy airport these days now the new terminal is open, with many Chinese flights arriving

Of course, you're absolutely right. Every entry point into Thailand applies scrutinisation. However, it seems that every entry point applies it's own policy as to what they actually scrutinise. From what I've read the Bangkok airports + Phuket are the worst for people trying to enter who have spent a reasonable time recently in the country, where as I've read of no instances of anyone with a visa having a problem at Chiang mai. Most of the border crossings seem to be hassle free.

 

Hence my question re:U-Tapao

[Caldera]

1 hour ago, Lovethailandelite said:

U-Tapao isn't an airport that is somewhere you think you will just fly in and not be scrutinised.It's an active military base.

What a ridiculous statement. That they x-ray luggage and share their facilities with the air force doesn't say anything about their local immigration policies.

[Captain 776]

Very safe.   I fly in and out frequently..........never had a ptoblem

[dcnx]

It’s safe until Somchai decides it isn’t. 

[bkk6060]

Utapao has a very big planned future.

In the past few months they have updated the place with food courts, coffee, shops, etc.

In 5 years it will become a busy hub for international entries.

 

For now, is it safe?

If a person has nothing to hide and has their act together, yes of course.

[AAArdvark]

Worst thing about U-Tapao is the recent ฿250 mini bus change to ฿150 midi bus.  Midi bus sounds good but they cram all the luggage and passengers with no seats in.  And it is a feeder system to various mini bus locations.  I would rather pay the 250.

[kevinmartyn]

The simple answer in Yes!

[DJ54]

15 hours ago, FredGallaher said:

Treads about the difficulty

Agree 100% ... it’s like hey look here I am.

[lonewolf99]

I remember a few years ago a huge fanfare for Qatar airways flying direct to U-tapao. I just went on their website and the airport is not even recognised ?

I do know that 10 to 12 years ago it was a basic airport that you could only really connect to Samui and Phuket easily and I did so myself.

Nowadays though it is packed with Chinese, Uzbeks, Kazakhs and Siberians. A western passenger would stand out from the crowd and more so if they have have been going in and out of LoS at the other main airports.

Air Asia have flights to/from mainland China and also Macao and I think Hong Kong.

What I never understood is that the low cost airways in Thailand don't do regular internal flights to Korat and other locations in Isaan due to high volume of people from there working around Pattaya/Rayong.

To the OP....Roll your dice and take your chance at U-Tapao....

[EVENKEEL]

On 9/29/2019 at 8:41 AM, BritTim said:

If flying into U-Tapao, do not look for direct flight options out of Europe or the US. You should get a flight to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, and book a separate flight from there to U-Tapao. Booked in advance, it can be done economically, though the connection time for the flight into U-Tapao may be long.

Don't think there is any good flight S'pore to Utapao. In the future most definitely but not yet.

[StevieAus]

22 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

22 hours ago, FredGallaher said:

Treads about the difficulty with immigration pop up continuously. Many answers are given but the questions continue to be asked about how to get into Thailand with a history of staying too long on tourist or Ed visas. It might be where's the best place nearby to apply or which entries are safe. Posters seem aware that Thai immigration has changed but they keep looking for work arounds.
I fairly sure that Thai immigration reads these threads and makes adjustments as needed. By writing about this consulate or entry point, just brings it into focus and expect changes. Earlier when changes were made to financial requirements in the bank were made, posters here and on YouTube had many workarounds. Change happened and their ideas quickly vanished. 
These are just my thoughts. 

The problem is Immigration make it up on the fly, i doubt they even understand why they are denying entry. Stopping people spending money in Thailand sounds stupid to me. They should concentrate on people coming from nearby asian countries who are taking local jobs i.e. cambodian construction site workers

The reason they let the people in from neighboring countries and in particular  Myanamar (Burma) is because many Thais don’t want to do the menial jobs and in particular those laboring jobs where you are working outside in the sun.

There no shortage of work in Thailand ask some of the local businesses and you will get the answer.

[Peterw42]

3 hours ago, lonewolf99 said:

What I never understood is that the low cost airways in Thailand don't do regular internal flights to Korat and other locations in Isaan due to high volume of people from there working around Pattaya/Rayong.

They do, You can fly UTP to Khon Kaen, Udon Thaini

 

 

[scubascuba3]

The reason they let the people in from neighboring countries and in particular  Myanamar (Burma) is because many Thais don’t want to do the menial jobs and in particular those laboring jobs where you are working outside in the sun.
There no shortage of work in Thailand ask some of the local businesses and you will get the answer.

what jobs are these falang taking that the thais could do instead? i doubt the internet based jobs count