IATA · UTPRayong · Gulf coast

Pattaya Airport

Pattaya Airport (U-Tapao) is the coastal gateway for Pattaya, Jomtien and Rayong on Thailand's eastern Gulf. Officially U-Tapao Rayong Pattaya International Airport, it sits in Ban Chang about 40 km south-east of Pattaya, and handled around 370,000 passengers in 2023/24 across a small but growing mix of domestic and seasonal international flights.

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In numbers

Pattaya Airport at a glance

Official name
U-Tapao Rayong Pattaya International
IATA / ICAO
UTP / VTBU
Operator
Royal Thai Navy, civil arm under the EEC
Terminals
Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 (2019)
To Pattaya
40 km, about 45 min
To Jomtien
40 km, about 50-60 min
Elevation
13 m above sea level
Runway
18/36, 3,505 m
Transport and services

Leaving Pattaya Airport

There is no rail link yet, so every transfer from U-Tapao is by road. Pattaya and Jomtien are around 40 km away; compare the main ways to reach your hotel.

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Car rental

Desks in the terminal with no-deposit models and free cancellation. The easiest way to reach Pattaya, Jomtien, Rayong's beaches and the Koh Samet pier, from ฿800/day in low season.

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Taxi & transfer

Airport minibuses, metered taxis and pre-booked private transfers. A shared minibus to Pattaya is about ฿250 per person, a private transfer from ฿1,300.

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Parking

A car park sits right by the terminal, with a free kiss-and-drop zone for quick stops and short and longer-stay areas. Handy for pick-ups from Pattaya.

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Flights and times

Check arrivals and departures live. U-Tapao runs a modest schedule of domestic and seasonal charter flights, so the board is short but real.

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Live flight board

Live flights at Pattaya Airport

Follow arrivals and departures at Pattaya Airport in real time. Data is provided by Avionio and updated continuously; smaller airports show only a handful of flights, which is normal.

Open the dedicated pages: Arrivals and Departures for Pattaya Airport.

About Pattaya Airport

Pattaya Airport is the informal name for U-Tapao, built by the United States in 1965-66 as a B-52 bomber base and one of the most important American airfields in South-East Asia during the Vietnam War. Its long 3,505 m runway was later designated an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle. It remains an active Royal Thai Navy airbase, home to the First Air Wing.

Despite the Pattaya branding, the airport lies in Ban Chang district in Rayong province, roughly 40 km from Pattaya itself. A second passenger terminal of about 22,000 m2 opened in February 2019 to handle growing tourist and charter traffic to the Gulf beaches.

Civil traffic is still modest, around 370,000 passengers in 2023/24, split between roughly 227,500 international and 142,700 domestic. U-Tapao is now the centrepiece of Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor, with a second runway under construction and a planned high-speed rail line linking it to Bangkok's two airports, a project designed to turn it into a major eastern hub. Airlines operating at the airport include:

  • Bangkok Airways
  • Thai AirAsia
  • AirAsia
  • Thai Lion Air
  • Nok Air
  • Azur Air
  • Nordwind Airlines
  • Red Wings
  • S7 Airlines
U-Tapao Pattaya airport terminal building under the Gulf coast sky
Terminal 2 opened in 2019, 40 km from Pattaya in Ban Chang, Rayong.

How to get from Pattaya Airport to Pattaya and Jomtien

Pattaya, Jomtien and Rayong all lie around 32 to 40 km from U-Tapao, and there is no rail link yet. The airport minibus is the cheapest way into Pattaya; a private transfer or a rental car is the most comfortable. Prices in baht vary by comfort and group size.

ModeDestinationDurationPriceFrequency
Shared minibusPattayaabout 50 min฿250 ppwhen full
Metered taxiPattayaabout 45 min฿600-800on demand
Private transferPattayaabout 45 minfrom ฿1,300on booking
Car rentalAll Gulf coastimmediatefrom ฿800/dayterminal desks
Shared vanRayong / Ban Phe45-60 min฿300when full

The airport minibus to Pattaya is the cheapest option at about ฿250 per person, but it leaves only when full. For a direct door-to-door trip, a metered taxi or private transfer is simplest, while a rental car is the most flexible choice if you also want to reach Jomtien, Rayong or the Koh Samet ferry pier at Ban Phe.

Transfer and taxi pick-up area outside U-Tapao Pattaya airport arrivals
Minibuses, metered taxis and pre-booked transfers wait outside arrivals.

Terminals and services

U-Tapao has two passenger terminals sharing the military airfield. Terminal 2, opened in February 2019 at around 22,000 m2, handles most international and charter traffic, while the older Terminal 1 covers domestic and overflow flights. The airport is compact, so walking distances are short.

Because U-Tapao remains an active naval airbase, photography of the military areas is restricted and signage points you to the civil terminals. Car rental and the taxi and transfer counters are in the arrivals area.

  • Free airport WiFi in the passenger terminals
  • Cafes, convenience shops and a small duty-free
  • Car rental and transfer desks in arrivals
  • ATMs, currency exchange and SIM-card counters
  • Assistance for reduced-mobility passengers

For a departure from Pattaya Airport, arrive about 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international charter: the terminal is small, so a full charter can fill check-in and immigration quickly.

Check-in area inside U-Tapao Pattaya airport Terminal 2
Terminal 2 handles most charter and international flights.

Parking at Pattaya Airport

A car park sits right by the terminal, with a free kiss-and-drop zone for quick stops and short and longer-stay areas nearby. Useful if you are collecting arriving friends from Pattaya.

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Explore the Gulf coast by car

From Pattaya's beaches to quiet Rayong, the Ban Phe pier for Koh Samet and the fruit orchards inland, a rental car picked up at the terminal lets you roam the eastern seaboard at your own pace, from ฿800/day in low season.

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Pattaya Airport: common questions

Where is Pattaya Airport?

Pattaya Airport is the marketing name for U-Tapao International Airport (UTP), which is actually in Ban Chang district, Rayong province, about 40 km south-east of Pattaya. There is no rail link yet, so transfers are by airport minibus, taxi, private transfer or rental car.

How do I get from Pattaya Airport to Pattaya?

Pattaya is around 40 km from U-Tapao, roughly 45 to 50 minutes by road. A shared airport minibus costs about ฿250 per person, a metered taxi ฿600 to ฿800, and a pre-booked private transfer from about ฿1,300 per car. There is no train.

How much is a taxi from Pattaya Airport?

A metered taxi from U-Tapao to Pattaya runs about ฿600 to ฿800, though drivers often quote a fixed ฿1,000. Jomtien is roughly ฿1,000 to ฿1,600 and Rayong city about ฿1,000. A shared minibus at ฿250 per person is the cheapest way into Pattaya.

Can I rent a car at Pattaya Airport?

Yes. Several companies have desks at U-Tapao, with rates from about ฿800 a day in low season and no-deposit options. A car is the most flexible way to reach Pattaya, Jomtien, Rayong and the Koh Samet pier. You need an International Driving Permit to drive legally in Thailand.

When is the best time to visit Pattaya?

Pattaya's high season runs from November to February, cool and dry on the Gulf coast, with the busiest airport. From May to October the green season brings rain but lower prices, and it is usually the cheapest time for car rental.

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