Narathiwat Airport lies on Route 4136 about 13 km north of town, 20 to 30 minutes by road, with Thai AirAsia flights to Bangkok Don Mueang. Grey minibuses meet each flight for about ฿80 a person, and transport is timed around arrivals, so leave the terminal promptly. It is closed overnight.
By the bookingMentor Travel Desk · Updated · How we research
Narathiwat Airport is about one flight at a time. This guide covers what the small terminal has, how to get into town or on to the Malaysian border, and the official travel advice for the province.
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.
Narathiwat Airport (NAW) is a small domestic airport in Khok Khian subdistrict, about 13 km from Narathiwat town on Route 4136 towards Ban Thon, in Thailand's southernmost province near the Malaysian border. Thai AirAsia flies from here to Bangkok. Most passengers are local residents, officials and the military, along with travellers heading for Tak Bai and Sungai Kolok on the border.
The airport was built in 1974, at the same time as the Thaksin Ratchaniwet Palace, the royal family's residence in the south. The land belongs to the Royal Thai Navy, and the Department of Airports runs the civil side. Royal flights, military aircraft and the daily Bangkok service all share the same runway.
Travel advice for Narathiwat, October 2026: the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises against all but essential travel to Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani provinces, citing regular attacks in the provinces bordering Malaysia (advice last updated 12 October 2026). Flights continue to operate normally. Check your own government's advice and your insurance cover before travelling.
Narathiwat once held international status and handled seasonal charter flights to Medina in Saudi Arabia for pilgrims from Thailand's mainly Muslim far south. Those flights no longer run, and there is no regular immigration counter. The official aeronautical publication lists customs and immigration as available on request only.
The single runway, 02/20, is 2,500 m long and 45 m wide, built in concrete and asphalt. The airfield lies almost at sea level, about 5 m up, close to the Gulf of Thailand coast, and has Category 6 fire cover. The apron can take one Airbus A300-600, or two Boeing 737-400s, or one smaller aircraft of about 80 seats, which is ample for the current schedule. The Department of Airports has drawn up plans to upgrade the terminal, which could open the way for more routes, but no timetable has been published.
The airport handled 202,365 passengers in 2025, up 10 percent on the year before, with 1,522 aircraft movements, up 18 percent. Nearly all of them flew the Bangkok route.
Thai AirAsia is the only scheduled airline, normally with one or two flights a day. Most go to Bangkok Don Mueang, and some schedules have also included Suvarnabhumi, so check which Bangkok airport your booking uses before planning a connection. The nearest alternatives are Kota Bharu in Malaysia, 72 km away across the border, Betong at 104 km and Hat Yai at 156 km, which has far more flights.
Expect the basics only. One small terminal holds the check-in counters, a modest waiting area and prayer rooms for Muslim passengers. Food in the building is minimal, and the airport's own listing places hotels, restaurants and banks in town, so bring some baht in cash and eat before you leave. There is no lounge. The aerodrome is open from 06:00 to 18:00 local time, and the terminal is busy only around the Thai AirAsia arrival and departure.
Parking is generous for an airport this size: eight car parks hold about 350 cars. Lots 3 and 4 are for overnight parking, which is free but requires registration at a desk in front of the terminal, and the airport accepts no liability for damage.
Narathiwat is one of the three southern border provinces under government travel warnings. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against all but essential travel to Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani, and to four districts of Songkhla (Chana, Thepa, Na Thawi and Saba Yoi), citing regular attacks in the provinces bordering Malaysia. That advice was last updated on 12 October 2026 and was still current on 4 November 2026. Flights operate normally, but many travel insurance policies exclude areas under such warnings, so check your own government's advice and your policy before you book.
Arrive at least an hour before departure. With one flight a day on many dates and no other airline on the route, a missed departure usually means a full day's wait or a long drive to Hat Yai.
At Narathiwat, landside is the small public hall with check-in and the arrivals exit. Airside is the departure waiting room beyond security. Everything is on one level and only a few steps apart.
This guide is written and maintained by the bookingMentor Travel Desk. We check airport hours, routes and transport against Department of Airports, airline and official travel-advice sources and update the page when something changes, most recently for the October 2026 travel advice.
Last updated . Minibus fares are typical figures from travel sources and can change. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Checked against trusted sources:
Department of Airports and Thailand AIP aerodrome dataThai AirAsia schedulesUK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office travel advice
Departures and arrivals listed on bookingMentor for Narathiwat Airport.
Times are from the flights listed on bookingMentor, not a live departure feed. Always confirm with your airline before travelling.
One airline flies scheduled services from Narathiwat.
1 airline
No domestic match
Some sockets are available in the departure room, but bring a charged power bank. Thailand uses types A, B, C, F and O sockets at 220 V.
Do not rely on airport WiFi here. A Thai SIM or eSIM bought before you travel, or in Bangkok, is the dependable option.
Food in the terminal is minimal. The Department of Airports lists restaurants as available in the town rather than at the airport, so eat before you leave for the flight.
What the small terminal has, and what you need to find in town.
Nothing matches that search. Try "sim", "wifi", "bag" or "food".
The aerodrome operator's published hours are 06:00 to 18:00 local time. In practice the terminal is busy only around the Thai AirAsia arrival and departure.
From the aircraft to the kerb at Narathiwat, in order. All flights are domestic, so there is no immigration.
The aircraft parks close to the building and you walk across the apron to arrivals.
A single belt serves each flight. Bags usually arrive within 15 minutes.
Minibuses, taxis and drivers holding name boards wait just outside. Agree any taxi fare before you set off.
The terminal opens for the morning departure. There is little to do inside, so there is no benefit in coming much earlier.
Check in online with Thai AirAsia if you can; the counter handles bag drop and anyone without a boarding pass.
Show your ID and boarding pass and pass through the single security lane into the departure room.
Boarding is on foot across the apron. Listen for the call; there is usually only one flight in the building.
The airport is on Route 4136 about 13 km north of Narathiwat town. Transport is timed around the flights, so leave the terminal promptly rather than waiting for the hall to empty. Grey minibuses meet each flight and leave once passengers have their bags: about ฿80 to Narathiwat town, about ฿180 to the Tak Bai border checkpoint and about ฿200 to Sungai Kolok. A few taxis and private drivers also wait outside arrivals, without a meter or official counter, so agree the fare before getting in; the drive to town takes 20 to 30 minutes. A car with a driver booked on bookingMentor meets your flight at a price agreed in advance. In a province with frequent security checkpoints, a local driver who knows the roads makes the trip simpler.
Book a car with driver on bookingMentor before you fly. Your driver meets the flight, the price is agreed in advance, and in a province with checkpoints a local driver who knows the roads is worth having.
Book car hire on bookingMentorGrey minibuses meet the flights and run to Narathiwat town, the Tak Bai border checkpoint and Sungai Kolok. They leave once passengers have collected their bags.
A few taxis and private drivers wait for arriving flights. There is no meter or official counter, so agree the price before you get in.
The airport is quiet and orderly, with a visible military and police presence typical of the province. The main consideration is the official advice for travel in Narathiwat itself.
Others of this kind you opened on this device, so you can get back to them quickly.
No. Its Narathiwat flights go to Don Mueang. From Suvarnabhumi, Thai AirAsia now flies only to Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi.
No scheduled flights link the two at present, so the journey is by road.
No. All scheduled flights are domestic; customs and immigration are only provided on request for special flights.
Yes, including overnight in lots 3 and 4 if you register your car with ID.
Very little. Eat in town before your flight.
The Royal Thai Navy owns it; the Department of Airports runs civil operations.
Get an answer from the bookingMentor travel team and travellers who have flown through Narathiwat Airport.
You cannot sleep at Narathiwat Airport; the terminal closes in the evening and does not reopen until the morning.
There are no rest zones or quiet rooms beyond the prayer rooms and the departure seating.
No cots are provided. If the flight is cancelled, Thai AirAsia staff at the counter handle rebooking and any accommodation the airline offers.
All hotels are in Narathiwat town, about 13 km south of the airport.
With enough time between flights and a visa that lets you enter, these are the sights listed on bookingMentor in Narathiwat.
Tell us how long you have and whether you can leave the secure area.
Immigration, security and Narathiwat traffic are already factored in.
Explore more options to hire a car for cheap
Everything travellers ask before flying through Narathiwat.
Checked against Department of Airports, airline and government sources in October 2026.
Getting there
About 13 km. The drive takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes along Route 4136.
Thai AirAsia is the only scheduled airline, flying to Bangkok Don Mueang once or twice a day.
No scheduled international flights operate. The airport has handled Hajj charters to Medina in the past, but for flights to Malaysia or elsewhere you need to connect through Bangkok or travel to Hat Yai.
Grey minibuses run from the airport to Narathiwat town for about ฿80 per person. Taxis and pre-booked cars wait outside arrivals when flights land.
Yes. The same minibuses go on to the Tak Bai border checkpoint for about ฿180 and to Sungai Kolok for about ฿200. Check current travel advice before travelling to either border town.
No. The airport works daytime hours, roughly 06:00 to 18:00, around the Bangkok flights.
Ninety minutes before departure is plenty. Thai AirAsia closes check-in shortly before the flight, and the terminal is small enough to cross in a couple of minutes.
Do not count on one. Banks and the post office are in town, so carry enough cash for the minibus or taxi.
Yes. Overnight parking in lots 3 and 4 is free, but you must register your vehicle with ID at the desk in front of the terminal. The airport does not accept liability for damage.
No. There is no lounge, and food choices in the terminal are minimal, so eat in town before you leave.
Yes. The terminal has prayer rooms for Muslim passengers.
The Thaksin Ratchaniwet royal palace sits beside the airport. Narathiwat town and its seafront are about 13 km to the south.
There are no hotels at the airport. All accommodation is in Narathiwat town, about 20 to 30 minutes away.
Health & safety
The UK government advises against all but essential travel to Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani provinces because of continuing attacks in the border region. Read your own government's advice and confirm your travel insurance covers the trip.
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