It look like getting worse every day. You lucky guys from the UK have a lot of cheaper options to book a flight to Thailand. From mainland, and not living close to a big city, it is getting difficult.

I have to fly from Nice or Marseilles. I can go through Paris, Frankfurt Zurich, Vienna....... Nice but that is always a longer trip. Now booking gives you a headache. Every day different prices, other conditions. Most of the time, it always ger more expensive, but sometimes when you decide to book, there is a better option the next day!

Connections can be good, but also very bad. Going thru Vienna, fine. Waiting 9 hours for a connected flight, you like that? How about booking 3 months in advance (average best period, after the cheaper seats are taken.). But then there is a reason you want to depart earlier. Yes you can change. Cost 100 to 200 € depending on the company. Ticket again more expensive. But then the class let say, W, is not available. Changing not possible. You are lucky. You have a ticket that can be cancelled. Then you don't get your full price of your ticket back. Ok, lucky! only 130 €. Ok. But wait the ticket on your new departure, is........80 € more expensive! That is 210 € more! 330 € flight change now! You wait a day to decide....... The new ticket is now 200 € more! You are stuck with your initial trip and the friends you want to meet, well forget it!

Oh a friend of mine got a good lufthansa deal. 650 € + annulation cost! Except when he is in Thailand, there is a death in the family. Has to go back. Did not read the small prints. if he want to change, he has.......to buy a new ticket 1000 €!

Exceptions? I don't think so! it becomes a poker game to book a flight! I wonder, how you do it, your remarks are more then welcome!

This is a tool that sometimes helps:

Airfare Search

Sure Curt these "help"! But that doesn't change that prices are so different from the moment you search with it...

I have a similar problem as I live in Northern Ireland and need to get to the mainland before I can fly to Thailand - I can go via dublin but its a lot more expensive and its that nightmare air france and CDG paris - so I bring up all the airlines that fly to thailand and all the ones that fly to the mainland in tabs and just sit and play with it till I get it right works for me - can be frustrating at times and can mean a night in london or the ilk from time to time

The thing about that search is that it will cover dates before and after your "schedule".

When I was booking flights from the States, I always visited the local Thai community and picked up the newspapers. These would feature travel agents focusing on Thailand flights. They always seemed to have better insight.

You calculator can be fine in some parts of the world. When I used it, it came out with strange results at very high prices!

I use for France easyvols.org

Have you tried to AirAsia.com, The World's Best Low-Cost Airline from UK to KL malaysia, sale on now, then short flight to Phuket, about 2 hours aud $ 40.00, check it out might be good 4u, by the way this is not self promotion just an option, gud luck

I live by kayak.com fare alerts. Plug in various routes (including connecting legs) and set up email alerts so that you get a general idea of the costs associated. Helpful in that you get a price history model too so that you know what the going rate was last year at the same time.