Oneworld member airline Qatar Airways is offering great fares from Brussels to Chiang Mai in Thailand right now. The inbound flight comes with a long layover in Doha. But a free stopover in Doha is possible to avoid the long layover. Fares include checked luggage of up to 30kg.
Search & Book
The fare rules state that a minimum stay of 3 days is required. You are allowed to stay for up to 6 months. A free stopover in Doha is permitted for up to 96 hours. This could be perfect to break up the journey on the inbound flight and avoid the long layover. Travel times are possible between now and December 13, 2019 and between December 28, 2019 and June 26, 2020. However we were only able to find availabilities from November 2019 to March 2020. The deal expires October 31, 2019.
The best way to find suitable prices and dates is to use Google Flights (instructions). After that you can either book directly with Qatar or use our Travel-Dealz flight search to save a little bit of money. We usually recommend booking with the airline directly however.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
The flights are in booking class W. Most frequent flyer programs will credit these flights at 25% of the distance travelled. This would be the mileage accrual for various frequent flyer programs:
- 3,656 Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- 3,048 Miles on American AAdvantage
- 3,048 Award Miles on Bangkok Airways FlyerBonus
- 3,048 Points on Finnair Plus
- 3,048 Points on JetBlue TrueBlue
- 3,048 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 3,048 Points + 16 Elite Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
- 3,048 Miles on MEA Cedar Miles
- 3,048 Miles on Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- 3,048 Miles on Royal Jordanian Royal Club
- 3,048 Miles on SriLankan FlySmiLes
- 3,048 Award Miles on Oman Air Sindbad
- 3,048 Miles on Alaska Mileage Plan
- 3,048 Avios + 488 Tier Points on The British Airways Club
- 3,048 Avios + 800 Elite Points on Iberia Plus 2025
- Customize Calculation
Hotels
Hotels are fairly cheap in Thailand. It can’t hurt to compare hotel prices nonetheless. You can always do so via one of our favorite portals:
It’s also worth checking our hotel coupons and vouchers:
Information & Tips for Thailand
Thailand is famous for its vibrant cities, beautiful beaches, and rich cultural heritage. Key sights include the Grand Palace and Wat Pho in Bangkok, the ancient city of Ayutthaya, and the islands of Phuket and Koh Samui. The currency is the Thai baht (THB), and while credit cards are commonly accepted in tourist areas, cash is often preferred in local markets. The cost of living is generally low, with budget accommodations and street food available, but prices can rise in more touristy areas. The weather is tropical, with a hot, rainy season from May to October and a cooler, dry season from November to February.
Getting around Thailand is fairly easy, with a mix of modern and traditional options. In cities like Bangkok, public transport includes the Skytrain (BTS), metro (MRT), and river ferries, which are convenient but can get crowded. Taxis and motorbike taxis are also widely available. For intercity travel, buses and trains are common and affordable, though train journeys can be slow. Domestic flights are frequent and often the fastest way to travel longer distances, especially to popular islands or northern regions. However, traffic congestion in urban areas can be a challenge, particularly during rush hours.
We’ve compared various esim providers, such as Nomad, Airhub, and RedteaGO. To see which plan is best for your travel needs and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for Thailand 🇹🇭 Compared (Bangkok, Phuket…)
→ All Dealz for Thailand
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