The best way to fly to Phuket from the UK

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Planning a long-haul hop from London to Phuket, Thailand and wondering which is the best route? I’ve flown this route on numerous occasions over the past decade with Thai Airways, EVA Air, Qatar Airways, Emirates, and British Airways. Read on for tips and tricks for the best route and the best airline, depending on your circumstances.

I make no apologies for stuffing this post full of gorgeous Phuket destination photos to get you in the mood, or for those of you who are here for the virtual holiday!)

Choosing the Best Flight from the UK to Phuket

Phuket, the largest island in Thailand, renowned for its stunning beaches and luxurious resorts, is one of the most popular destinations in the Kingdom. Surprisingly, direct flights from the UK are not the easiest to find, unless you join Tui Airlines‘ twice-a-week flight from Gatwick and Manchester, and that’s only from November to April.

Just a little context:

Phuket Tourism Numbers by Country

Whilst the number of British visitors is increasing, the number one visiting country in Phuket in 2024 is Russia, followed by India, China, Germany and Australia. About 7.6 million visitors landed in Phuket between January and July 2025.

When to Travel to Phuket

The peak season in Thailand is from November/December until the April Songkran Holidays; these months are really busy. If you want to see a calmer island, with less road congestion and empty beaches, we would recommend coming outside peak season.

Phuket has seen a rising trend in European travellers arriving to enjoy the Green Season. See my recent Instagram post for the best time to travel to Phuket in our eyes.

During the Pandemic, Thai Airways flew to London from Bangkok, via Phuket, which was ideal. However, Tui Airlines aside, there are currently no direct flights, meaning if you’re travelling from London Heathrow and looking for the best options, I’d usually be choosing between two kinds of one-stop routes: flying into Bangkok (then on to Phuket) with Thai Airways or EVA Air, or routing through a Middle East hub.

I recently flew British Airways from London Heathrow, via Doha, for the first time in years, which left me wondering why I’ve always flown via Bangkok. Several other Gulf carriers (Emirates, Etihad, Oman Air and the like) also offer one-stop connections to Phuket.

Flying Via Bangkok (Thai Airways and EVA Air)

London → Bangkok → Phuket (single-carrier or partner connection). Great if you want Thai hospitality from the moment you land in Thailand, seamless luggage transfer on through-tickets, and the option to overnight in Bangkok.

Via Singapore (Singapore Airlines) London → Singapore → Phuket Approximately 12 hours 10 mins

• Via another European Hub such as Paris, Frankfurt, Milan, Zurich and more! The one that caught my eye was with Finn Air via Helsinki.
• Via China, Guangzhou or Shanghai offer some of the cheapest routes, but longer flight times

Flying via Doha: Qatar Airways

Via Doha (Qatar Airways) — London → Doha → Phuket. Superb transfer experience at Hamad, excellent business/economy product on long-haul, often competitive pricing and multiple daily connections. Ideal for short, well-timed layovers.

Other Middle East Airlines to Phuket

Other Gulf options — Emirates (Dubai), Etihad (Abu Dhabi), and Oman Air (Muscat) — all fly to Phuket with easy connections from the UK, offering extra choice of schedules and products. If you prefer a particular airline’s award/loyalty programme or lounges, these are worth checking.

Comparing Flight Times, Layovers and Fares

Shortest time and lowest price are my deciding factors.

Personally, I am never looking for the cheapest flights – China Southern, China Eastern, or multiple stops Wizz, Scoot and the like. If I were in a loyalty program with Singapore Airlines, I would certainly go via Singapore; it’s a great airline with surprisingly little extra time. My choices are THAI, EVA or a Middle East flight. I’m looking at flight times, comfort and cost. I want to arrive as full of beans as possible, ready to hit one of the top delightful Phuket beaches – there are over 30, so you see why you don’t want to lose your energy!

Total journey time & schedule

There is not much in it; a lot depends on whether you want two shorter flights or to get a decent sleep and have the majority of the journey completed by the time you arrive in Thailand.

Direct routing into Bangkok + short domestic leg

Flying from London Heathrow LHR→BKK (Thai or EVA), is a non-stop flight of 11 hours 30 mins. You change to a domestic flight, 1 hour 20 minutes to Phuket International Airport (confusingly called HKT). At Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), you’ll complete immigration and change to a domestic flight. You clear customs on arrival in Phuket.

This can be marginally faster depending on connections, but some itineraries require a quick domestic transfer. For more information, see Connecting Flight Procedures at Suvarnabhumi Airport

Middle East hub (Doha/Dubai/Abu Dhabi/Muscat)

These routes often have very convenient daytime or overnight connections, and can shave hours off total travel time if the hub connection is efficient. Qatar, in particular, advertises multiple daily links to Phuket.

My recent flight was from London Heathrow, departing at 21.25 on BA 0123. Flight time was 6 hours and 50 minutes, with a connection time of just over one hour. The flight to Phuket was 7 hours, arriving earlier than the advertised 18.50 scheduled arrival.

What I especially liked was the ease of arrival at Phuket International Airport; from landing to exiting the airport was around 30 minutes.

Onboard comfort and service

Airline Awards

I don’t think there are masses to choose between the airlines, aeroplanes or the cabin staff on these routes. However, according to the Skytrax World Airline Awards, there is!

They awarded Qatar Airways for the 9th time as the World’s Top Airline in 2025, with Emirates taking 12th place, and a fourth-place award for the World’s Best Cabin Crew. Thai Airways came in at 29th place, and 11th for the world’s best Cabin crew.

Making the correct seat choices

It is definitely best to sit at the front of the plane, but if this is not an option, here are my hacks.

Get the right seat – check out Seat Guru.

Where to sit?

I always go for an aisle seat, because moving around during long haul is important to me, and I don’t want to continually disturb people.

Anecdotally, I feel the more popular seats are the ABC seats on the left-hand side, rather than the far side. So I always book on the RHS.

Do not dismiss the seats in the middle section. I recommend an aisle seat again, where chances are people can exit at the other end, and often I find these are the least popular, so you may get lucky to have spare seats around you.

Enlist the help of the check-in staff; this sometimes works where they have the overview of numbers booked, and I will sometimes move at check-in.

Thai Airways

For long-haul flights, we are great believers in an Emergency Exit row seat with their extra legroom. Because these are to assist staff in the unlikely event of an emergency, Thai Airlines will only allocate on arrival at the airport (make sure you check in at least 3 hours before departure for this)

Check how full the flight is – our flights in September were not at all at capacity, giving the option for many people to have a whole row to themselves. Mr Wren paid for an Emergency exit row seat from LHR-BKK (80GBP) but moved from a full Exit row seat to have a whole row to himself further back

Emergency Exit Seats

Long gone are the days when those with Thai Airways status automatically got emergency exit seats; now these are only allocated at the airport and cost 80 GBP, but get there early, and they are yours. Although Mr Wren in September 2025 paid for his seat only to find the rest of the plane was empty so moved to have a row to himself, so it was not such a good buy.

Also, we have twice been told that we are too old for emergency exit seats in our early 60s; both times, we have challenged this, and it was agreed that we were fit and able-bodied enough to sit there!

Qatar / Emirates / Etihad

Known for modern widebodies, excellent business-class suites, top lounges in the hub, and consistent international service. If a comfortable sleep and a good lounge are priorities (especially for older travellers wanting rest before arrival), these are excellent choices.

Thai Airways

If you want Thai-style service and to arrive in Thailand feeling immediately “in-country”, Thai delivers that warmth; EVA is highly rated for cleanliness, efficiency and often good value. Both operate solid long-haul cabins on the LHR→BKK sector.

Eva Air

I always loved Eva Air, even before I walked out and left my PC in the seat pocket, one Christmas in the UK. They found it and a member of Customer Service even bought it out to the car at Heathrow, so I didn’t have to park to collect it – now that’s what I call service!

Luggage, Transfers & Stopover considerations

Hamad International (Doha) and Dubai/Abu Dhabi hubs are built for transferring passengers — clear signage, fast transfer buses/people-movers, great lounges and shopping. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi is large and busy; if you have a short connection, it can feel more rushed, but it is straightforward on a single through-ticket.

Luggage & through-checking

If you book a single ticket to Phuket (LHR→BKK→HKT) with Thai or EVA, your luggage is usually checked through to Phuket. With some combinations via Bangkok, you may need to recheck if you book separate tickets — always verify at the time of booking. Middle East carriers typically check through on one-ticket itineraries as well.

Price & availability

Middle East hubs often have competitive fares, sales and lots of weekday options. Thai/EVA flights sometimes offer higher fares for direct LHR→BKK premium cabins, but can be excellent when booked in advance or during special offers. Always compare total door-to-door time, not just price.

Airline Loyalty Programs and Frequent Flyer Benefits

I will always look to amass or use Frequent Flyer points. If this is you, consider the following:

Qatar is an Oneworld partner (also works with British Airways connections). Emirates and Etihad have their own strong loyalty programmes and partnership networks, but are not part of any of the big three alliances. Thai Airways and Eva Air are Star Alliance partners.

Pros and Cons: Bangkok vs Doha, Which Route Works Best?

Thai Airways / EVA Air via Bangkok

Great for: An authentic Thai welcome from the start. Just call me easily impressed, but the Thai Airways cabin crew in their Thai silk uniforms and the pink orchid flower in the loo, and I already feel like I’m on holiday… oh hang on a mo, maybe the orchids in the loos are only for those at the front of the plane?! Anyway, you get my gist!

I like the way with Thai Airways, your bag goes straight to Phuket, and you don’t need to collect it for your domestic onward flight.

To consider: Your domestic connection BKK→HKT (short hop), adds complexity; Suvarnabhumi can be busy and slower for tight connections.

Qatar Airways via Doha

Great for: ease of Transfer at Doha. You’ll arrive to find a well-organised, smooth transfer, with a modern hub at Doha, frequent connections, excellent lounges and onboard service — superb for those who value rest and punctual transfers. Just be aware that you have to clear security again, so if you have stocked up with water in London, it will be taken from you! Often, very competitive fares.

I really liked the two flights of a similar time, compared with the 11 hours and 30 minutes flight to Bangkok, it’s not as good for those who want a long kip on the plane.

To consider: this route adds an extra geographic detour (Doha isn’t on the direct line to Phuket) and takes longer. So you’ll be in the air a bit longer overall than a perfectly timed Bangkok connection.

Emirates / Etihad / Oman Air (other Gulf options)

Great For: more choice of departure/arrival times, brilliant lounge access (especially Emirates/Etihad), high-quality cabins and service. Oman Air offers an alternative routing via Muscat that can be quieter and less crowded.

To consider: similar to Qatar Airways, a geographic detour and sometimes a longer flight time.

Tips for UK Travellers Flying Long Haul to Phuket

• If comfort and a restful transfer matter most, choose Qatar / Emirates / Etihad. Big lounges, excellent business cabins and easy connections.
• If you want to start your Thailand experience early (or add a Bangkok stopover): book LHR→BKK with Thai or EVA and continue to Phuket on the same ticket. You’ll enjoy Thai hospitality straightaway.
• Watch connection times: for anyone who prefers a relaxed transit, pick a slightly longer connection (we choose a 2-hour minimum connection in Bangkok) rather than risking a tight 60-minute transit.
• Check luggage rules at booking — particularly if mixing low-cost domestic add-ons with long-haul tickets. For this reason we tend to book Thai Airways with its Thai Smile domestic flight from Bangkok.
• Look at seats/aircraft before you book — a daytime A330/A350 with decent legroom can be more pleasant than a red-eye on an older plane.

Final recommendations

If your priority is rest, reliability, and world-class lounges — particularly if you’re flying Business Class or Premium Economy — then Qatar Airways via Doha is hard to beat. Emirates or Etihad are also excellent alternatives if their schedules suit your plans.

If, however, you’d love to arrive already in Thailand and perhaps add a Bangkok stopover, then Thai Airways or EVA Air via Bangkok is the way to go. This option is especially appealing for a two-centre trip or for those who want that immediate Thai/Asian welcome from the moment they land.

We hope this guide has helped you navigate the question of how to fly from the UK to Phuket. Do you have a favourite route? If so, let us know in the comments who your favourite airline is and why. Happy Thailand wanders!

Follow us on Social Media: Find more photos of my Thailand travels and stories on Instagram:  @littlewanderingwren.

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Inviting you for a Virtual Thailand Staycation!