If I one goes outside of Bangkok, can flights to nearby countries be cheaper than in Don Mueng?

Question

As a Bangkok resident, if I need to fly to a nearby country outside Thailand, I will likely do so from Don Mueng airport in northern Bangkok, from which flight prices are (at least from my experience) significantly lower than those from Suwannaphum ("Suvarnabhumi");
The differences can reach of thousands of Bahts.

But I wonder, if I go outside of Bangkok, could there be an airport in which flight prices to nearby countries (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar) would be significantly lower than how they are in Bangkok.
For example, taking a 3 hour bus to somewhere outside and around Bangkok in say 150-200 Baht could save a person 1500-2000 Baht on a flight ticket from Don Mueng.

If I one goes outside of Bangkok (in the radius of say 3 hours drive, likely by bus), can flights to nearby countries be cheaper than in Don Mueng?

Answer 1

It's unlikely that you'll find better options within reasonable driving distance than DMK in general, to fly to nearby countries. As of January 2020, Thailand has 11 international airports:

• 2 in Bangkok
• 2 in the north
• 5 in the south and
• 1 in the north east.

The one I've left out serves Pattaya. The only neighboring country with a direct connection to Pattaya (according to Wikipedia) is Malaysia., so, if you happen to fly to Malaysia, this might be a slightly cheaper option, but considering how competitive these short routes are (with the vast majority of low-cost airlines flying to and from DMK), I doubt it'll be much cheaper all things considering (transport to Pattaya and time spent travelling).

Especially with nearby countries, driving all the way to the border could be cheaper. When comparing, also take into account luggage, it may cost extra on low-cost airlines when it's included in many bus tickets. So when you want to go to Myanmar or Cambodia on a budget, I'd recommend considering that.

Answer 2

It's impossible to answer this conclusively. Prices depend on specific flights, booking time, whether you need check-in luggage etc. For the best price, you'll need to search every time you fly.

City pairs that are geographically close and have low-cost flights are generally, but not always cheaper. For example, Chiang Rai to Kunming; Hat Yai to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore should be cheaper than from Bangkok.

Other than Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi, the only airport within reasonable distance Bangkok is U-Tapao. It has connections to Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh city, so if you're hunting for the lowest possible regional fare, it's worth checking.

Google Flights is good for finding low fares with flexible dates or destinations, but doesn't always show all flights. Flight Connections shows direct connections, useful when considering smaller airports.