Private Jet China to Thailand: Shanghai to Phuket in 4h45

Phuket in about 4h45 from Shanghai, Bangkok in 2h40 from Hong Kong

A private jet flies from Shanghai-Hongqiao to Phuket in about 4h45, and from Hong Kong to Bangkok-Don Mueang in 2h40, depending on the aircraft and the winds. On a departure from the mainland, the calendar is set in China: a jet registered abroad, or in Hong Kong, files its Chinese flight plan seven working days ahead, against three for a mainland operator. Our Bangkok office picks the operator with that rule in mind, then files the Thai permit. Request a quote for your flight to Thailand, answered within the hour.

2h30 to 5h20 in the air: times from five departure cities

Estimated times for the category we would propose, over 1,600 to 3,990 km (990 to 2,480 miles):

Out of Hong Kong, Shenzhen or Guangzhou, a light jet such as the Phenom 300, 7 seats, covers Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Towards Koh Samui and Phuket, a midsize such as the Citation XLS, 8 seats, keeps a wider fuel margin. Shanghai and Beijing call for a super midsize such as the Challenger 350, 9 seats and six hours non-stop; for Beijing to Phuket, we confirm load and winds first.

Thailand runs one hour behind China. Leave Hongqiao at 10:00 and you land in Phuket at about 13:45 local time.

Leaving mainland China: the jet's registration sets the notice

The Civil Aviation Administration of China's rule on preliminary flight plans (CCAR-73, listed as in force) sets two lead times for a holiday flight. A mainland Chinese operator applies at least three working days before the flight. A foreign operator, or one from Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan, applies at least seven working days ahead; for a business flight, its file also lists each passenger's date of birth, passport number and nationality, plus the host organisation in China.

A second rule narrows the choice. Under the CAAC regulation on foreign charter operators, a foreign airline may not, as a general rule, fly a charter between mainland China and a third country without special approval. For Shanghai to Phuket, the jet is therefore usually Chinese or Thai, and we check its registration before proposing it.

These are Chinese working days: public holidays stop the count. Our pages on private flying in China and on Hongqiao or Pudong cover airports and quotas. Hong Kong has its own rules: departures leave from the Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre, with slots opening 14 days ahead (see our Bangkok to Hong Kong route).

Entering Thailand on a Chinese or Hong Kong passport: 30 days per stay

The visa exemption agreement between Thailand and China, in force since 1 March 2024, covers ordinary passports and passports for public affairs: up to 30 days per stay, and no more than 90 days in any 180-day period. When Thailand withdrew its unilateral 60-day scheme on 15 September 2026, the Chinese embassy in Bangkok confirmed that the agreement stays in force; a longer stay, work or study needs a visa.

Hong Kong passports get 30 days without a visa, according to the Hong Kong Immigration Department's list updated on 15 September 2026.

Every non-Thai passenger also completes the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, compulsory since 1 May 2025, within the three days before arrival. We collect passport details once, for the Chinese list, the Thai permit and the card check before take-off.

Organise your flight from China to Thailand with IBC Aviation

We have no office in China. Our team in Bangkok works on Thai time, one hour behind Beijing and Hong Kong, so your assistant reaches us in the same working day. We choose an operator whose registration fits the route, prepare the Chinese file with it, and file the Thai permit online, due three business days before the flight for a jet registered outside Thailand.

At Don Mueang, Phuket, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai, the Thai civil aviation authority allocates every slot, which we book with the permit. For a week in a villa, the jet can wait or leave: the Thai AIP lets a charter operator fly in, leave empty, return empty and take the same passengers home. We price both. Send us your dates: our Bangkok office plans the aircraft and both permits.

Phuket, Koh Samui or Chiang Mai: what each runway allows

• Phuket (HKT / VTSP): 3,000 m and 3,100 m of runway, customs around the clock, and the Siam Land Private Jet Terminal. A private jet parked elsewhere overnight is declared to the airport operator three working days ahead, and flies within two hours of its slot. See our Phuket page.
• Koh Samui (USM / VTSM): 2,100 m of runway, but the AIP declares only 1,800 to 1,900 m for take-off and 1,660 to 1,825 m for landing. Customs works within airport hours, 06:00 to 22:00, so a jet from Hong Kong can clear there directly. We check the aircraft's weight against those distances; our Koh Samui guide covers the season.
• Chiang Mai (CNX / VTCC): 3,400 m, customs 24 hours, 4 km (2.5 miles) from the city, with no category limit. Our Chiang Mai guide dates the lantern festival and the burning season.

The retreat often chooses the island: our guide to four Thai wellness retreats pairs each with its airport.

Onward inside Thailand: a Thai operator for every domestic leg

The Thai AIP is explicit: a charter flown by a foreign operator may not carry passengers between two points in Thailand. If you land in Bangkok and continue to Koh Samui, the second leg flies with a Thai operator, booked with the first. A jet from Shanghai can also skip Bangkok and clear customs in Phuket, Koh Samui or Chiang Mai.

For islands without a runway, IBC Aviation is the official partner of Siam Seaplane. Its amphibious Cessna Grand Caravan EX carries up to eight passengers in daylight, and its first approved landing sites lie in the Andaman Sea, around Phuket and Krabi.

What a flight from China to Thailand costs: from EUR 4,000 per hour

Billing is by the hour, by category, with no fixed fare. From Hong Kong, Shenzhen or Guangzhou, a light jet starts at EUR 4,000 per hour and a midsize at EUR 4,800; from Shanghai or Beijing, a super midsize starts at EUR 5,500 per hour, and a heavy jet such as the Falcon 2000, 10 seats, at EUR 6,500.

Our Bangkok to Hong Kong route gives a benchmark: 2h40, for example EUR 21,000 in a 7-seat Phenom 300. In the same aircraft, domestic legs cost for example EUR 11,500 from Bangkok to Phuket (1h20), EUR 9,000 to Koh Samui (1h00) and EUR 10,500 to Chiang Mai (1h10). Our hourly rates by category cover the rest.

When to book: Lunar New Year falls on 6 February 2027

Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports counted 6,733,162 arrivals from China in 2024 and 4,473,992 in 2025, second behind Malaysia, plus 643,158 from Hong Kong. Its preliminary figures for January to August 2026 put China first again, with 3,543,272 arrivals, up 16.0% on a year earlier.

The peak month follows the lunar calendar: Lunar New Year fell on 29 January 2025 and on 17 February 2026, and each time that month led arrivals from China, with 662,779 and then 677,768. For 6 February 2027, we file the Chinese flight plan before the holiday and book the Thai slot at the same time.

Our Bangkok office arranges flights to or from mainland China and Hong Kong: tell us about your stay in Thailand.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does a private jet from China to Thailand cost?

By the flight hour, with no fixed fare: from EUR 4,000 per hour in a light jet out of Hong Kong or Shenzhen, from EUR 5,500 in a super midsize out of Shanghai or Beijing. Bangkok to Koh Samui costs for example EUR 9,000 in a Phenom 300.

How long is the flight from Shanghai or Hong Kong to Phuket?

About 4h45 from Shanghai-Hongqiao and 3h30 from Hong Kong, depending on the aircraft and the winds.

Do Chinese passport holders need a visa for Thailand?

Not for up to 30 days per stay, within 90 days in any 180-day period, under the agreement in force since 1 March 2024, which the 15 September 2026 reform left intact. Hong Kong passports get 30 days. Every passenger files the TDAC arrival card.

How much notice does a private flight from Shanghai or Beijing need?

For a holiday flight, seven Chinese working days with a foreign or Hong Kong operator, three with a mainland operator, under the CAAC flight plan rule. Thailand then wants its permit three business days before the flight. Public holidays do not count, which matters around Lunar New Year.

Can the same jet fly us on from Bangkok to Koh Samui?

Not if the operator is foreign: the Thai AIP bars foreign charter operators from carrying passengers between two Thai airports. We book a Thai operator for that leg, or fly you straight to Koh Samui, where customs works from 06:00 to 22:00.