Roi Et Airport is in Thawat Buri district, 11 to 15 km from town and 15 to 25 minutes by car, with Thai AirAsia flights to Bangkok Don Mueang only. There is no rail link or scheduled bus, so plan on a taxi or a pre-booked car. Arrive 90 minutes ahead; bag drop closes 60 minutes before departure.
By the bookingMentor Travel Desk · Updated · How we research
A compact single-level airport with one airline and one route. Here is what to expect on arrival and departure, and how to get between the terminal and Roi Et 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.
Roi Et Airport (ROI) is a small domestic airport in Nong Phok subdistrict, Thawat Buri district, on Highway 2044 roughly 15 km from Roi Et town in north-eastern Thailand. Thai AirAsia flies from here to Bangkok Don Mueang. It also serves travellers from neighbouring Maha Sarakham, Kalasin and Yasothon, and suits anyone visiting family or doing business in central Isan who wants to avoid the 514 km road trip from Bangkok.
The site began as a Royal Thai Army airfield. The Department of Air Transport approved a civil airport in 1989, construction started on 11 August 1995, and the airport opened on 2 March 1999. The Department of Airports runs it today.
Runway extension, October 2026: after the terminal expansion finished in late 2024, the Department of Airports moved on to lengthening the runway from 2,100 m to 2,500 m, with completion expected around 2030. Work should not affect day-to-day flights, but check your Thai AirAsia booking for any schedule changes.
The terminal is a single-level building where check-in, the gate and baggage reclaim are all within sight of each other. In 2020 the government allocated 110 million baht to enlarge it, and the work has since raised its size to about 5,700 m² and its capacity to 600 passengers an hour. The car park takes around 470 vehicles. The apron, 85 by 324 m, handles Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft.
Facilities stay basic. Food outlets are limited, so eat in town before you leave. Taxis and car hire are available at the airport, while hotels, banks, the hospital and the post office are all in town. There is no lounge, and customs and immigration are not provided, so the airport is domestic only.
The runway, 18/36, is 2,100 m long and 45 m wide, built of concrete and asphalt. The airfield lies about 137 m above sea level and has Category 6 fire cover. The aeronautical publication warns pilots of birds on and around the airfield. With the terminal finished, the Department of Airports has moved on to lengthening the runway to 2,500 m, with completion expected around 2030. The work should not disrupt day-to-day flights, but check your booking for schedule changes.
Thai AirAsia is the only airline, with daily flights to Bangkok Don Mueang, two return flights a day in recent schedules. Thai Smile tried a daily Suvarnabhumi service from January 2022 but withdrew in September that year, so anyone connecting to an international flight now changes airports in Bangkok.
Roi Et handled 342,970 passengers in 2024, down 1.67 percent on the previous year, while aircraft movements rose by 84 percent to 3,989.
The aerodrome's published hours are 06:00 to 21:00 local time. The terminal is staffed around the scheduled Thai AirAsia flights and does not stay open overnight, so time your arrival to your flight. There is nowhere to sleep at the airport.
The town's name means "one hundred and one", an old way of saying "a great many", and in ancient times the city was known as Saket Nakhon, said to have had 11 gates and 11 vassal towns. The area shows Dvaravati influence from around the 5th century, was abandoned after Angkor declined in the 13th century, and was resettled by Lao people in 1775. Today the centre is built around Bueng Phalanchai lake, with a 101 m observation tower nearby shaped like a traditional circular panpipe.
The weather is hot until April, and the monsoon rains run from May to October.
An hour before departure is usually enough. With only two flights a day, though, seats sell out around Songkran and the New Year, when people across the north-east travel home, so book those dates early.
Landside is the public check-in and arrivals area; airside is the gate area beyond security. At Roi Et the departure and arrival areas share one floor, so the walk from check-in to the gate takes a couple of minutes.
This guide is written and maintained by the bookingMentor Travel Desk. We check flights, terminal and transport details against Department of Airports figures, airline schedules and national news, most recently for the terminal expansion and runway plans.
Last updated . Taxi fares at Roi Et are agreed with the driver; confirm before you travel. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Checked against trusted sources:
Department of AirportsAirline schedulesThai national news coverage
Departures and arrivals listed on bookingMentor for Roi Et Airport.
Times are from the flights listed on bookingMentor, not a live departure feed. Always confirm with your airline before travelling.
Scheduled passenger flights from Roi Et.
1 airline
No domestic match
Roi Et Airport has no known lounge. Waits are short and the gate area is close to check-in.
Thailand uses types A, B, C, F and O sockets at 220 V. Bring a power bank, as sockets in small terminals are limited.
Food outlets in the terminal are limited, so eat before you arrive if you can. Eat in town before you leave for the airport.
A small terminal with the basics, all on one floor. Search for what you need.
Nothing matches that search. Try "sim", "wifi", "bag" or "food".
The terminal is staffed around the scheduled Thai AirAsia flights. The terminal is not known to open 24 hours, so time your arrival to your flight.
Roi Et handles domestic flights only, so there is no immigration or customs, and the whole process takes minutes rather than hours.
Aircraft park on the apron beside the building, and you walk or take a short apron bus to arrivals.
Baggage reclaim and the exit are in the same part of the building on the ground floor.
Taxis and transfers wait at the exit to the city. Agree the fare before loading your bags.
It is 15 to 25 minutes to central Roi Et along Highway 2044.
Thai AirAsia closes bag drop 60 minutes before departure.
Check in online if you can; use the counter only for bag drop.
One checkpoint leads to the gate area on the same floor.
Be at the gate when boarding is called. There are only a few flights a day, so delays tend to be short.
The airport is on Highway 2044 (Roi Et–Phon Thong Road) in Thawat Buri district. There is no known rail link or scheduled airport bus, so plan on a taxi or a pre-booked car. Taxis wait at the exit when flights land; there is no official tariff, so agree the fare before setting off and have your hotel name written in Thai. The drive into town takes 15 to 25 minutes. Rental companies list desks in arrivals, but with only a few cars and a few flights a day, book ahead. A car with a driver booked on bookingMentor meets your flight, which helps most if you are going on to Maha Sarakham, Kalasin or Yasothon.
Book a car with a driver on bookingMentor and your driver meets the flight. Useful if you are heading on to Maha Sarakham, Kalasin or Yasothon rather than staying in Roi Et.
Book car hire on bookingMentorTaxis wait at the exit when flights land. There is no official airport tariff, so agree the fare before you set off and have your hotel name written in Thai.
Rental companies list Roi Et Airport desks in the arrivals hall. Book ahead, as there are only a few cars and a few flights a day.
Book car hire on bookingMentorRoi Et is a small, quiet airport with no known safety problems. Normal precautions are enough.
Others of this kind you opened on this device, so you can get back to them quickly.
Bueng Phalanchai lake in the centre of town, with its island and gardens, is the main landmark.
It opened in 1999, and the terminal was enlarged in 2024.
Yes, in the past, but Thai AirAsia is now the only airline.
2,100 m, with an extension to 2,500 m planned for around 2030.
Only via Don Mueang; there are no direct flights elsewhere.
Types A, B, C, F and O at 220 V.
Thawat Buri, on Highway 2044 north-east of Roi Et town.
Get an answer from the bookingMentor travel team and travellers who have flown through Roi Et Airport.
There is nothing to wait for overnight at Roi Et. Stay in town and come back 90 minutes before your flight.
No hotels are attached to the airport. Accommodation is in Roi Et town, 15 to 25 minutes away, including The Rice Hotel and the Mai Thai Hotel.
With enough time between flights and a visa that lets you enter, these are the sights listed on bookingMentor in Roi Et.
Tell us how long you have and whether you can leave the secure area.
Immigration, security and Roi Et traffic are already factored in.
Explore more options to hire a car for cheap
Everything travellers ask before flying through Roi Et.
Checked against Department of Airports figures, airline information and news reports, October 2026.
Getting there
Roughly 11 to 15 km depending on where in town you start, which is 15 to 25 minutes by car in normal traffic.
Thai AirAsia is the only scheduled airline, flying to Bangkok Don Mueang. Nok Air and Thai Smile have served Roi Et in the past but no longer do.
No. It is domestic only, although the government is preparing it to become a customs airport that could take international charter flights in future.
Taxis and transfers wait at the arrivals exit. There is no published fixed tariff, so agree the price before you set off, or pre-book a car with driver on bookingMentor.
Ninety minutes is ample. Thai AirAsia closes bag drop 60 minutes before departure, and the single-level terminal is quick to move through.
We found no published 24-hour operation. The terminal is busy around the scheduled flights, and nothing departs overnight.
It is not a sensible option. With no overnight flights, a hotel in Roi Et town is the better choice.
We could not confirm a lounge. Waits are short, and most passengers go straight to the gate.
Rental companies list desks for Roi Et Airport in the arrivals hall. For a driver as well as a car, book through bookingMentor.
Yes. Since the expansion the car park holds about 470 vehicles.
Yes. Travellers from Maha Sarakham, Kalasin, Yasothon and Mukdahan use it, which is why it gets busy around long weekends and holidays.
About an hour from Don Mueang.
Booking
Recent schedules show four movements a day, meaning two round trips between Don Mueang and Roi Et. Check the Thai AirAsia app for exact times.
General
Not at present. Thai Smile's Suvarnabhumi service ran only in 2022, so all flights now use Don Mueang.
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