Skip to content Who flies between Vietnam and its neighbours in 2026?
A budget flight in this part of the world usually means one of five brands. The routes below are the common ones from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi; schedules change, so check the airline’s site before you plan.
| Airline | Typical routes with Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Vietjet and Thai Vietjet | Saigon and Hanoi to Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Phnom Penh, plus other Asian cities |
| AirAsia and Thai AirAsia | Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok (Don Mueang) to Saigon and Hanoi |
| Scoot | Singapore to Saigon and Hanoi, with onward connections across Asia and to Australia |
| Cebu Pacific | Manila to Saigon and Hanoi |
| Vietravel Airlines | A small carrier with some regional international routes, including Saigon to Bangkok |
Listings in 2026 show one-way Saigon to Bangkok fares from around $55 to $70, rising at peak times. Nonstop flights between Saigon and Bangkok take about 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes.
Who has gone
If you’re using an older list of airlines, these have changed:
- Jetstar Asia closed on 31 July 2025.
- Tigerair became Scoot in 2017.
- Viva Macau stopped flying in 2010.
- Jetstar Pacific, the Vietnamese partner of Jetstar, was renamed Pacific Airlines after Qantas left in 2020. Pacific Airlines is now part of the domestic flights picture rather than a regional budget airline.
How to choose
Compare the total price, not the base fare. Low-cost airlines charge for checked baggage, seats, meals and sometimes payment cards. Full-service carriers such as Vietnam Airlines and Thai Airways include a bag and a meal on many fares, so on a trip with luggage the gap often closes.
Think about the airport at each end. Bangkok has two: Don Mueang (budget carriers) and Suvarnabhumi. In Saigon the airport is Tan Son Nhat and international flights use Terminal 2. Getting to and from the airport adds time and cost, and a late-night landing with a budget fare is exactly when a fixed-price booked car is worth having. See Saigon airport transfers.
Flying versus the overland route
The old guide argued for travelling overland where possible, and for Cambodia that still makes sense if you have time. Buses between Saigon and Phnom Penh run daily across the Moc Bai border and take roughly 6 to 7 hours. Flying takes about an hour, which matters if you have a short trip.
For Bangkok and beyond, flying is the only practical option. A flight of under two hours also beats three or four days of buses and border crossings.
Planning around the flight
Keep spare time on connections. Budget carriers don’t protect you if a separate flight arrives late, and they often use less convenient airports and terminals. If your trip begins or ends in Saigon and you’re heading to the coast, such as Vung Tau, Mui Ne or Ho Tram, plan the transfer from the airport rather than relying on a taxi at midnight.