Last updated on February 22nd, 2023 at 11:40 am
To travellers who are from faraway lands, it might seem like Thailand is only a stone’s throw across the ocean from Australia. Actually, Bangkok is over 7,000 miles from Melbourne, so this is quite a long journey to take. Thankfully, there are easy flight options to get from one capital to the other. Otherwise, you would probably need to take a boat, and that isn’t easy. Here we take a look at how to get from Bangkok to Melbourne.
Read here Bangkok Airport Rail Link and how to get from Bangkok to Ayutthaya.
Best Time to Visit Melbourne
Melbourne is a city that is suitable to visit all year round. However, there is a high and low season, so it all depends on what you want.
The summer months are between December and March. At this time, the weather is usually pleasant and can get quite hot. This is the peak season, which means the prices are at their highest and you will need to book accommodations and flights in advance. This is also the time of year for major events such as the Australian Grand Slam Open, Test Cricket and the Melbourne Cup, which this year has several runners in contention.
If you prefer to stay out of the way of the action, heat and high prices, then June and August are the quietest and cheapest times to visit Melbourne. These are the winter months, and it can get quite cold, but it’s still nice to explore the indoor, cosmopolitan vibes of the city.
The perfect middle ground is March to May or September to November. At these times the weather is still pleasant, and there’s still a lot going on, yet prices get lower and availability higher. The spring months of March to May have their own events going on, including the Australian Grand Prix and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
How to Get to Melbourne
How to Get to Melbourne From Bangkok by Plane
The easiest way to get to Melbourne from Bangkok is to take a flight from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. There are direct and indirect flights available on a daily basis. Budget airlines include Air Asia, Tiger Air and JetStar.
Last-minute flights between Bangkok and Melbourne cost around $250 – $400 for a return, or as low as $150 for a one-way flight with one stop. The cheapest direct flight (as of a last-minute search in June) is around $250. Booking in advance comes up with cheaper options. Overall costs depend a lot on day, availability and season.
Non-stop flights take around 9 hours to reach Melbourne. The fastest one-stop flight takes around 11 hours, but indirect flights could take as long as 30+ hours, depending on stops and waiting times, so be sure to check the flight details carefully before booking.
Other Options for Travelling to Melbourne From Bangkok
Flying is by far the easiest and cheapest option for travelling from Bangkok to Melbourne. There is really no other way to reach Australia from Thailand. Bangkok is a great destination in itself, but it is also one of the main travel hubs for the country, so flights are the way to go.
For the truly adventurous, it is possible to take a cargo ship cruise or join a sailing yacht, but this is extremely difficult to organise. Your most likely option is to head to Indonesia and take a boat from Timar to Darwin. From here, you would face a long overland journey that would take 40 hours on the road if you hired a car. Even from Darwin, the best way to reach Melbourne is to take a flight.
Getting from Melbourne Airport to the CBD
Melbourne airport is located 22 km northwest of the city centre. This journey takes around 30 minutes by car, depending on traffic conditions. This means that once you reach Melbourne, you still face a small journey to get from the airport to your hotel.
Assuming you are staying in the Central Business District (CBD), a taxi will cost around $50 – $60. This is a very expensive option if you travelling alone, but becomes a reasonable price if split between three or four people.
The Skybus is an excellent public transport option. It runs 24/7, every 10 minutes from the airport, and it costs $19 per person. This bus can take you straight to Southern Cross Station in the CBD in under an hour.
There are also several other shuttle bus companies, such as Starbus and VHA Airport Shuttle. They are similar in price to the Skybus, and though they may take longer to arrive at your destination, they cover a greater area of the city, which is ideal if you are located outside of the CBD.
Public transport remains your cheapest option to get into the city. You can purchase a Myki card for a few dollars, which gives you travel on buses and trains. This will take longer, and will require more attention and planning on your part to find your way around, but it will save a fair amount of money.
Getting Around in Melbourne
Once you are in Melbourne, there are several options available for getting around. Taxis are quite expensive—usually nearly $3 per mile, plus a few dollars flat fee for booking.
Public transport within the city is excellent. You will need to buy a Myki card, which you can then top up as needed to use buses, trains and trams around the city. You can then buy fares for two hours at $4.40 or for the full day at $8.80, or you can even grab a weekly pass for $30/$44 if you think you will be travelling around a lot.
The tram network in Melbourne is really efficient and will help you to avoid traffic. The City Circle tram is a free service that loops around the city, passing many of the top Melbourne attractions on its way. Melbourne has also recently expanded its nighttime public transport services, with trams, trains and buses all scheduled for late nights on the weekend.
It’s easy enough to get from Bangkok to Melbourne if you are prepared to catch quite a long flight of around 9 hours. Other options will take days or weeks. Once at Melbourne airport, you can take the Skybus or taxi to reach the centre, or make use of the extensive public transport options within the city. Have a super trip!