Nan's airport is about 3 km from town, a 5 to 10 minute drive, with Thai AirAsia and Nok Air flights to Bangkok Don Mueang. There is no airport bus; taxis, motorbike taxis and guesthouse pick-ups meet the flights, and a car is the way to see the rest of the province. It opens about 06:00 to 20:00.
By the bookingMentor Travel Desk · Updated · How we research
Nan's terminal is compact and quiet between flights. Here is what it has and what is better sorted in town.
Please note: Flights, hotels near the airport and car hire with driver on this page can be booked directly on bookingMentor. We list places on merit, and bookings never affect what we say about them.
Nan Nakhon Airport (NNT) is a small domestic airport in Pha Sing subdistrict, about 3 km north of Nan town in Thailand's far north, on Route 1080 towards Pua and the Lao border. Thai AirAsia and Nok Air fly from here to Bangkok Don Mueang. It suits travellers heading for Nan's old town, Wat Phumin and the mountain parks of the Luang Prabang Range, who want to skip a long road trip from Chiang Mai or Phitsanulok.
Nan opened to commercial flights in 1980, when Thai Airways Company began a Bangkok service. Thai Airways International took over the route from 1988 to 2002, and in 2001–2002 a Thai Airways Company flight even linked Nan with Luang Prabang in Laos. After that came a long list of short-lived operators: Air Andaman from 2002 to 2006, PBair to Suvarnabhumi from 2006 to 2009, Solar Air and Happy Air around 2010 to 2012, and small-aircraft links to Chiang Mai flown by Nok Mini, Kan Air and finally Wisdom Airways, which stopped in 2019. Thai Smile and Thai Lion Air also served the airport for a time.
A new terminal further along the airport road replaced the original building in 2014, reusing the existing runway. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn opened it on 15 February 2015 and gave the airport its present name, Nan Nakhon.
The new terminal changed the airport's fortunes. Traffic jumped from 113,849 passengers in 2014 to 349,264 in 2015. The record so far is 451,801 in 2022. In 2025 Nan handled 421,002 passengers, up 5.32 percent, on 2,824 aircraft movements. In 2010 the figure was just 9,038.
The building is small and easy to find your way around. There are no jet bridges, so passengers walk between the terminal and the aircraft. Services are basic: an ATM, first aid with a hospital in town for anything serious, car rental, taxis and motorbike taxis. Food is very limited, and the old town, a few minutes away, has plenty of places to eat. There is no lounge and no hotel on site.
The aerodrome is open from 06:00 to 20:00 local time. The terminal comes to life around each Bangkok flight and is very quiet in between, and it does not stay open overnight.
A single runway, 02/20, measures about 2,075 m by 45 m in concrete and asphalt. The airfield sits about 209 m above sea level in the Nan valley and has Category 6 fire cover. Customs and immigration are available only on request, so there are no scheduled international flights.
Every scheduled flight goes to Bangkok Don Mueang. Thai AirAsia operates two to three flights a day and Nok Air one or two; the trip takes about 1 hour 10 minutes. There is no current service to Chiang Mai or Suvarnabhumi, so international arrivals change airports in Bangkok or fly to Chiang Mai and continue by road.
Wat Phumin, in the old town, is the sight most visitors come for. Its cruciform ordination hall dates from 1596 and appears to rest on the backs of two giant nagas, with carved doors facing each of the four directions and four Sukhothai-style Buddha images back to back inside. Thai Lue artists painted the murals during a restoration in the late 19th century, mixing Jataka tales with scenes of daily life. The best-known scene shows a man whispering to a woman.
Doi Phu Kha National Park, established on 17 June 1999, covers about 1,704 km² across eight districts and is the largest national park in northern Thailand. Its highest point, Doi Phu Kha, rises to 1,980 m, and the park is the only place in Thailand where the chomphu phu kha tree (Bretschneidera sinensis) grows, alongside the rare fishtail palm Caryota gigas and the maple Acer wilsonii.
Arrive about an hour before departure. The terminal is small and queues are short, but with only a handful of flights a day a missed departure costs you most of a day. Book early for Thai long weekends and Songkran.
Landside is the check-in hall and arrivals area, where the ATM and car rental are. Airside is the departure waiting area after security, from which you walk out to the aircraft.
This guide is written and maintained by the bookingMentor Travel Desk. We check opening hours, facilities and flights at Nan against Department of Airports and airline sources, and update the page when routes or services change.
Last updated . Flight frequencies change seasonally; confirm with the airline before travelling. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Checked against trusted sources:
Thai Aeronautical Information PublicationDepartment of AirportsThai AirAsia and Nok Air schedules
Departures and arrivals listed on bookingMentor for Nan Nakhon Airport.
Times are from the flights listed on bookingMentor, not a live departure feed. Always confirm with your airline before travelling.
Carriers with scheduled passenger flights at NNT.
2 airlines
Tap water is not safe to drink. Bring bottled water from town.
There are no shower facilities at Nan Airport.
Sockets are limited, so arrive with a charged phone. Thailand uses types A, B, C, F and O sockets at 220 V.
Food at the terminal is very limited. Nan's old town has plenty of places to eat and is only a few minutes away.
Nan is a small airport. These are the services available.
Nothing matches that search. Try "sim", "wifi", "bag" or "food".
The airfield's published hours are roughly 06:00 to 20:00 local time. The terminal comes to life around each Bangkok flight and is very quiet in between.
All flights at Nan are domestic, so there is no immigration or customs. This is the whole routine.
There are no jet bridges; passengers walk across the apron to the arrivals area.
Bags arrive quickly on a single belt.
Use the ATM if you need cash, then meet your guesthouse pick-up, collect a rental car or take a taxi or motorbike taxi.
Check-in closes 60 minutes before departure on the low-cost airlines.
Thai AirAsia and Nok Air share the small check-in hall. Cabin bags are weighed.
One screening point leads to the departure area.
You walk out to the aircraft when the flight is called.
There is no airport bus. The town is close, so a taxi, motorbike taxi or guesthouse pick-up gets you there in minutes; a car is the way to see the rest of the province. Taxis meet the flights and reach town in five to ten minutes; agree the fare to your hotel before you leave. Motorbike taxis are the cheapest option if you only have a backpack, and several guesthouses and hotels collect guests free or for a small fee if you send your flight number. Car rental is available at the airport, but the roads to Bo Kluea and Doi Phu Kha are steep and winding, so allow extra time and avoid driving after dark. A car with a local driver from bookingMentor meets your flight and handles those mountain roads for you.
Book a car with a driver on bookingMentor. Nan's best scenery is on steep mountain roads with little public transport, so a local driver is worth having.
Book car hire on bookingMentorTaxis meet the flights. Agree the fare to your hotel before you leave; it is a short trip.
Motorbike taxis serve the airport and are the cheapest way into town if you only have a backpack.
Several Nan guesthouses and hotels collect guests from the airport free of charge or for a small fee. Ask when you book.
Car rental is available at the airport. Roads to Bo Kluea and Doi Phu Kha are steep and winding, so allow extra time and avoid driving after dark.
Nan is one of Thailand's calmest provinces, and the airport is quiet and safe. Plan transport and cash before you arrive.
Others of this kind you opened on this device, so you can get back to them quickly.
No, all current flights use Bangkok Don Mueang.
No. Use a taxi, motorbike taxi or hotel pick-up.
The airport is on Route 1080 towards the Huai Kon border crossing, but there are no flights to Laos. Huai Kon is a few hours' drive.
No. The departure area is a simple waiting room.
About 1 hour 10 minutes to Don Mueang.
Only around flight times. Between flights it is almost empty.
It is about 3 km along a main road. Possible without luggage, but a short taxi ride is easier.
Get an answer from the bookingMentor travel team and travellers who have flown through Nan Airport.
Nan Airport closes in the evening, so sleeping in the terminal is not possible.
There is no hotel at the airport. Nan town, 3 km away, has guesthouses and small hotels, many of which offer airport pick-ups.
With enough time between flights and a visa that lets you enter, these are the sights listed on bookingMentor in Nan.
Tell us how long you have and whether you can leave the secure area.
Immigration, security and Nan traffic are already factored in.
Explore more options to hire a car for cheap
Everything travellers ask before flying through Nan.
Checked against the Department of Airports' published data and airline schedules; updated each season.
About 3 km north of central Nan, around 5 to 10 minutes by car to the old town and Wat Phumin.
Thai AirAsia and Nok Air, both to Bangkok Don Mueang. Thai AirAsia usually has two to three flights a day and Nok Air one or two.
No. Several small airlines have flown the route in the past, and Ezy Airlines planned one in 2026, but that was shelved in August. Chiang Mai is about five to six hours by road.
The airfield's published operating hours are about 06:00 to 20:00 local time. It is closed overnight.
Taxis and motorbike taxis serve the airport, and many Nan guesthouses offer free or cheap pick-ups if you send your flight details. A car with driver can also be booked in advance.
Yes, car rental is available at the airport. A car is the best way to see the province, as public transport to places like Bo Kluea and Doi Phu Kha is limited.
Yes, there is an ATM in the terminal. Banks and the post office are in town.
No. All scheduled flights are domestic. Customs and immigration can be provided only on request for special flights.
Ninety minutes is usually plenty at a terminal this size. Low-cost airlines close check-in 60 minutes before departure, and the Bangkok flights fill up at weekends and holidays.
No. The airport closes in the evening. Hotels in town are 5 to 10 minutes away.
Choice is very limited, and the airport's published data lists restaurants in the city rather than at the terminal. Eat in town before your flight.
First aid is available at the airport, and Nan Hospital is close by in town.
Usually yes. The flight from Bangkok takes about 1 hour 10 minutes, compared with a long day by road, and fares on the low-cost airlines are often modest when booked ahead.
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