Urban exploration, like nothing you’ve ever experienced – no tickets required to board defunct aircrafts in Bangkok’s Airplane Graveyard. This is not a legitimate attraction in any sense. It is on private property and impoverished Thai families squat inside. However, my experience was seamless and entirely positive.
Getting there
Public transportation can take give or take two hours from the center of the city, including metro, bus, and ferry. It is easy enough to follow the directions using the Maps.Me or Google Maps apps – where the GPS location is ‘Airplane Graveyard’. With limited time in the city, I decided to take a taxi which drops you at the front gate because I wanted to enjoy the rest of my day. However, if time is not an issue or you are on a budget, I did take all forms of public transportation during my stay and they are easy enough to navigate – plus people are always willing to help.
Cost
Since this is not legitimate attraction, price may vary day to day. People have reported paying anywhere from 50 to 1000 baht, the latter of the spectrum extremely outlandish. Paying 200 bath seems to be the average – the amount that we were asked for and felt comfortable paying. If you are asked for more, you may want to haggle – however beware the locals that live inside could bar you from entering if they wish. The money you pay helps the destitute family, so think of it as charity. Though this is private property, we did not encounter any security guards during our visit as others have stated as a possibility. If so, a bribe may suffice.
Experience
No one was waiting for us outside and the gate was locked. Our taxi driver yelled, it’s closed! Maybe hoping to get some more baht out of us. Don’t worry if you don’t have a welcoming party, this is normal procedure. Just yell out, Sawasdee! and someone will come on over to let you in. We had two kids skip over, in the middle of a game, I wondered why they weren’t in school The boy confidently pointed and requested 200, 200, in practiced English. They collected their money and continued their game, we didn’t see any other people or tourists for the rest of our stay. An enormous 747 and two MD-82s are on the lot, strewn about in pieces.
A tire is conveniently placed as a makeshift step, carefully hoist yourself up into the fuselage and get exploring.
Familiar sights for frequent flyers, overhead bins.
Oxygen masks.
Lavatories.
Not so familiar sights such as the cargo deck.
Cockpit.
Upstairs in first class. Find the easiest access point into a smaller plane graffiti laden plane.
Be the gremlin on the wing.
Not all of the planes are stable or easily accessible, use your better judgement for the areas you would like to explore. It’s eerie to know that one of the planes actually crashed in Phuket, killing 89 people.
Safety
*This is an abandoned place filled with rusty metal, glass, and deteriorating materials. Always make sure whatever you are standing on is secure. Have an up to date Tetanus shot. Wear a good pair of shoes and long pants/shirt to cover your skin.
*Remember, this is not a legitimate, you never know what situation you can run into and it is a pretty desolate area. Stay on your guard, though everyone seemed friendly enough during our visit.
*If you notice a curtain covering an area, do not disturb. Remember, people live here.
*Some areas are being reclaimed by nature. Beware of wildlife such as snakes, dogs, and bees.
*As it goes with everywhere in Bangkok, midday gets hot. Visit early or late for a cooler experience, bring water, a hat, and sunscreen.
*Explore at your own risk!
that sounds like a bucket list item for when u make it to India!
This area reminds me of India with the numerous displays of garbage attracting tourist interest.