Private jet from Bangkok to the Maldives

Bangkok to Malé is a flight of about four hours to the west-south-west, 3,160 km without a stop for every jet on this page. We calculate it from Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), the city's business aviation base, rather than from Suvarnabhumi. A Gulfstream G650 makes the crossing in 4 h 1 min.

The lowest guide price is €32,000 one way for the whole of a Praetor 600 with up to 12 seats. Maldives Private Jet is a broker, not an operator: we put your request to companies holding an Air Operator Certificate and compare what they offer.

Private jet prices from Bangkok to Malé

Below are five jets from Don Mueang to Velana International Airport: the super midsize Praetor 600 and Challenger 350, the Legacy 650 heavy jet, the Falcon 7X and the Gulfstream G650. Each one flies the route nonstop, between 4 h 1 min and 4 h 27 min.

The amounts are guide prices for the complete aircraft on a one-way flight. Taxes and airport fees are shown in the quote as separate lines, and the price in the contract is the one that applies. Split among passengers, the Praetor 600 costs €2,600 each with 12 on board, the Challenger 350 €3,500 each with 10, and the Legacy 650 €3,600 each with 13.

Coming back, the jet can stay with you in the Maldives, which adds parking and crew hotel costs, or return to Bangkok empty and fly down again to collect you; the quote then includes both positioning flights of about four hours. Which works out cheaper depends on the length of the stay, and we price both. Guide fares from other cities are listed under private jet prices, while our price calculator sizes up a trip for any number of passengers.

What each aircraft costs from Bangkok

Don Mueang International Airport is the departure airport used for these Bangkok figures. From the Citation XLS+ at the bottom of the Bangkok table to the Global 7500 at the top, prices differ by €38,000.

From Don Mueang the Praetor 600 reaches Malé in one 4 h 27 min hop for €32,000. The Citation XLS+ costs the same €32,000 but has to land once, 6 h 6 min in the air. Twelve passengers in the Praetor 600 pay just €2,600 each.

Price per person by group size

Divided between travellers, the Bangkok figures look very different; three jets are broken down below for parties from two people.

A group of six returning to Thailand pays an extra US$5,760 at Velana, the departure tax and development fee of US$960 per head not being part of these figures.

Return flight and Empty Leg prices

Return figures for Bangkok add the outbound and the homebound flight; the aircraft does not wait in the islands.

A Praetor 600 repositioning between Bangkok and Malé could cost a flexible traveller only €12,000 to €22,000. Operators offer such legs only when a jet has to move; for shared seats see Jet Sharing. A Bangkok jet that stays on the islands means paying for its parking and the crew's rooms, often at Gan or Maafaru in peak season.

Why private flights leave from Don Mueang

Don Mueang was Bangkok's main airport for decades until Suvarnabhumi opened, and it now serves low-cost and regional airlines. It is also home to Thailand's first FBO: MJets runs a private jet terminal there, with its own border formalities.

Once the flight is confirmed we pass every passenger's name and passport data to the operator for the flight documents and the Maldivian landing permit. Tell your driver to go to the private jet terminal, not to the airline departures; the handler confirms the time to arrive.

Four hours west, with the clock on your side

With 3,160 km to cover, the Praetor 600 at €32,000 and the G650 at €64,000 fly the same nonstop route; the difference is 26 minutes and a much larger cabin. A super midsize jet is the logical choice for up to eight passengers with normal holiday luggage.

Thailand keeps UTC+7 and the Maldives UTC+5, and neither uses daylight saving. Malé is therefore two hours behind Bangkok, and the clock gains you time on the way out.

Arrival: Malé or one of three other airports

Seen from Bangkok, the Maldives' northern airports, Hanimaadhoo and Maafaru, are the closest: 4 h 14 min in the Legacy 650, against 4 h 18 min to Malé. Gan lies furthest south. Prices for the Legacy 650, nonstop to all four:

At Velana International Airport passengers are taken by car from the aircraft to the VIP lounge for passport control. Speedboats then reach North and South Malé Atoll resorts in 20-60 minutes, and seaplanes connect Ari, Baa or Lhaviyani in daylight. For a Noonu resort, fly direct to Maafaru; from there, resorts in Baa Atoll and Raa are about 15 minutes away by seaplane. The far north is reached through Hanimaadhoo, and Addu in the deep south through Gan. How each transfer works is explained on the page about getting between the islands.

Documents and taxes for a flight from Bangkok

Thai citizens and expatriates living in Bangkok follow the same entry rules: no visa application in advance, and a tourist visa for up to 30 days at immigration in the Maldives. Each passenger needs:

• a machine-readable passport with at least a month left before it expires; passports with extended validity do not qualify;
• an IMUGA declaration, which can be filed online in the 96 hours before arrival;
• proof of a prepaid booking at a registered resort or hotel, of the return trip and of sufficient funds.

Thai airport charges and departure fees for the flight from Don Mueang are shown in the quote. For the flight home the Maldives levies two charges per foreign passenger on a private jet, US$480 in departure tax and another US$480 as an airport development fee; the departure tax is waived for infants under two. The resort charges US$12 Green Tax per guest for each day of the stay.

Dogs are refused entry to the Maldives. A cat may come if the owner holds an import permit for it, carries a certificate of health issued by an authorised vet and gives the Maldivian authorities notice of the arrival a day or more before. Alcohol is confiscated on arrival unless approved, and pork needs a permit; our page know the rules lists the customs restrictions.

Songkran, Chinese New Year and the Maldivian seasons

Two monsoons shape the Maldivian year: the north-east one brings the dry months from December to April, the south-west one the rainier months from May to November. Temperatures hold at 25 to 31 °C throughout. Bangkok's own rainy season falls in roughly the same months as the Maldivian one.

Songkran, the Thai New Year in mid-April, falls at the very end of the Maldivian dry season, and its public holidays make a short trip easy to fit in. Chinese New Year, in late January or February, and the year-end school break both land in the high season. Around New Year Velana handles more private jets than at any other time, and stands and permits run short. Send requests for these dates early; on an ordinary date, an urgent departure within about 4 hours of confirmation is often possible if a suitable aircraft is nearby.

Ways to lower the cost

• Match the jet to the group. A party of six or eight with holiday luggage fits a Praetor 600 or Challenger 350, both nonstop and both close to half what a G650 costs.
• Look at Empty Legs. Aircraft returning from the Maldives towards South-East Asia sometimes fly empty. Empty Leg flights are typically 30-60 % below the normal price, but the operator fixes date and route.
• Pay per seat. With Jet Sharing seats are paid only once the group is complete.

A quote from Don Mueang needs only the travel dates, the group size and your resort:

Best months to fly from Bangkok to the Maldives

For each month: Maldivian weather, Thai holidays and the latest Don Mueang departure in a Gulfstream G650 (4 h 1 min) that still meets a seaplane in daylight.

Thailand does not use summer time, so the Bangkok deadline is 13:29 all year round. A slower jet, or one that refuels, has to leave that much earlier.

Other departure points near Bangkok

Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Macau are the closest alternatives in our route list, each with its lowest guide price to Malé:

Bangkok to the Maldives: frequent questions

• • How much does a private jet from Bangkok to the Maldives cost?

  • From €32,000 one way for a Praetor 600 and €35,000 for a Challenger 350; a Legacy 650 is €47,000 and a G650 €64,000, always for the whole aircraft. Taxes are listed in the quote.

• • How long is the flight?

  • 4 h 1 min in a Gulfstream G650, 4 h 8 min in a Falcon 7X, 4 h 18 min in a Legacy 650 and 4 h 27 min in the super midsize jets, all nonstop.

• • Why Don Mueang and not Suvarnabhumi?

  • Don Mueang has a dedicated private jet terminal run by MJets, open 24/7, with customs and immigration in the building. Suvarnabhumi is Bangkok's main airline hub.

• • Can we leave Bangkok in the evening?

  • Yes, for resorts reachable by speedboat in North or South Malé Atoll. For seaplane resorts, take off by about 13:00 Bangkok time in a super midsize jet, or plan a night near Malé.

• • Do Thai citizens need a visa for the Maldives?

  • No visa is needed before travel; Thai visitors receive theirs, valid for up to 30 days, at Maldivian immigration. Each passenger submits IMUGA online, at the earliest 96 hours before the jet lands.

• • Is there a luggage limit on the seaplane?

  • Yes: Trans Maldivian Airways takes 20 kg checked and 5 kg hand baggage per person and charges US$5 per extra kilo plus taxes.

• • When should we book for Songkran or New Year?

  • Once your travel days are settled. Both weeks are in demand from Thailand, and over New Year business jet parking at Velana is in short supply.