Thailand: Elephants & Islands Expedition‎ > ‎

Flight Information

BEFORE YOU PURCHASE FLIGHTS, PLEASE VERIFY IF YOUR TRIP IS GUARANTEED TO RUN! YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION ON IF YOUR TRIP IS GUARANTEED IN YOUR REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION EMAIL OR CHECK WITH YOUR TRAVEL COORDINATOR - jenny@discovercorps.com

We have very specific arrival and departure times for your program. Please carefully read below and call us with any questions.  Note, we always recommend that travelers arrive a day early to avoid any potential flight interruptions. See below for early arrival hotel details.

Fly into and out of Phuket International Airport in Phuket, Thailand (airport code HKT)

• Arrive on the first day of the trip between 10:00 am-4:30 pm. 

• Depart on the final day of the trip after 3:30pm.*

• *IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR DEPARTURE DAY - You will be taking a speed boat from Koh Phi Phi to Phuket on the final day. There  is one speed boat per day departing around 12 pm. You can coordinate your departing flight based on these times but you must allow time for sea travel and land transfer, for this reason please not schedule flights until after 3:30pm. Please note that we drop off all travelers directly at the airport upon arrival to Phuket from Koh Phi Phi, typically arriving to the airport around 1:30pm. If you wish to book a hotel to relax/spend the day please see below at some alternative options we suggest in the Early Arrival/Late Departure section.

Bangkok Extension:

• Arrive at Phuket International Airport (HKT) on the first day between 10:00 am-8:00 pm for the Thailand Elephants Islands Expedition. 

• Depart Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) anytime after 6:00 pm on the last day of the extension. We recommend scheduling your departure flight as close to 6:00 pm as possible since there will only be one airport drop-off around 3:00 pm on the final day.

The one-way domestic flight from Phuket is included in the price of the supplement

Chiang Mai Extension:

• Arrive at Phuket International Airport (HKT) on the first day  between 10:00 am-8:00 pm for the Thailand: Elephants Islands Expedition trip. 

• Depart anytime on the last day of the extension from the Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) . The trip will end with breakfast on the last day; however, transfers can be made any time of the day for your flight home. 

The one-way domestic flight from Phuket is included in the price of the supplement

 Angkor Wat Extension:

• Arrive at Phuket International Airport (HKT) on the first day of the trip between 10:00 am-6:30 pm. Arrival outside of this window on the first day may require a supplemental transfer fee.

• Depart from Siem Reap (SAI) on the last day of the extension anytime after 12pm .

The one-way domestic flight from Phuket is included in the price of the supplement

Early Arrival/Late Departure

Discover Corps recommends that you arrive a day prior to avoid any flight delays or cancelations. If you decide to arrive a day prior to the trip start date, you can book an early night at the hotel directly. If you arrive outside of the Discover Corps program, you are responsible for the transfer from the airport to the hotel. This is where we'll be staying for the first few nights in Phuket. We can request that you be in the same room but we cannot guarantee it. 

Preferred Hotel: 

• Old Phuket Hotel, Karon Beach Resort  - PLEASE NOTE if your trip is between October 2024 and December 2024 - Due to the high season in Thailand, we use a basket of hotels based on availability, please check with your Travel Coordinator to see if your hotel has been confirmed before booking an early night at the Old Phuket Karon Beach, as the group may be at an alternate hotel. 

• Booking.com (Old Phuket Hotel, Karon Beach Resort)

If your outbound flight from Phuket departs late in the day and you do not want to wait at the Phuket Airport, there are two hotels within a 5 minute- drive from the HKT airport that Discover Corps can drop you off at. They can arrange airport transfers. 

• Dewa Phuket

• Proud Phuket

Please email your confirmation to your Travel Coordinator. 

Book Your Flights

Discover Corps' dedicated flight partner for all of our trips is the team at Wings Travel. Their team know all of the flight windows and details for each of the destinations that we work in. Please always make sure that your trip is guaranteed to run before booking any airfare!

To get a quote from Wings Travel, please see the details below:

• Get a Quote by Phone: Call (346) 396-4538. Our representative, Melanie Carter, is available 6am-3pm PST.

• Get a quote by Email: Email our representative Melanie Carter at Melanie.Carter@wings.travel with the details below and she will be in touch with a quote.

• Please have the following in hand when you are booking your flights:

  • Exact trip arrival and departure dates (including any extensions that you are taking)

  • Arrival and departure airports 

  • Confirmation that your trip is guaranteed to run