Updated: 14 March 2026
Update – 14 March 2026: Flight searches remain messy. Google Flights and Skyscanner are still showing a number of affordable fares that do not really seem available anymore. During our searches we repeatedly saw low prices from airlines such as IndiGo and Norse Atlantic, but once clicked those tickets were often already sold out or far more expensive than first shown. At the same time, direct flights from Thailand to Europe remain extremely expensive overall, which is exactly why alternative routings via hubs such as Seoul or Taipei still look far more realistic for many travellers.
Flights from Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia to Europe have become extremely expensive in recent days.
We are currently travelling in Thailand with our young family and recently started looking for flights back to Europe after our original return flight was cancelled. Even if that flight had operated, it would have routed via the UAE, which we preferred to avoid given the current tensions in the Middle East.
Although we are currently in Thailand, the situation appears very similar across much of Southeast Asia, where flights to Europe have suddenly become scarce or extremely expensive.
During our own search we repeatedly saw direct tickets starting at around €3,000 per person, and often significantly higher. For a family that quickly turns into €12,000 or more just to get home.
From what we have seen, many other European travellers across Southeast Asia are currently facing the same situation.
Because of this price surge, many travellers are now looking at alternative routes via places like Seoul, Taipei or even Helsinki, sometimes finishing the journey with ferries back into mainland Europe.
In practice that means a return journey that used to cost roughly €600 to €900 can now easily exceed €3,000 per person. For families the difference can be dramatic.
Being stuck in Southeast Asia is certainly not the worst problem in the world. But for many European travellers the practical question remains the same: how do you get back to Europe without paying a small fortune for flights from places like Thailand, Singapore or Malaysia?
Why travellers are looking at alternative routes
Many travellers are currently not just looking for cheaper tickets. They are also looking for different routings altogether.
Since the recent escalation of tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, aviation across parts of the Middle East has become more uncertain. Flights via the Gulf region have not disappeared, but availability and pricing have become far less predictable.
This is why more travellers are now exploring routes via East Asia instead, using hubs such as Seoul, Taipei or Hong Kong before continuing towards Europe.
Small note: this article was written on a mobile phone while we are still travelling, so please forgive any formatting quirks.
Quick routes worth checking
- Bangkok → Seoul → London → Harwich → Hook of Holland
- Bangkok → Taipei → Europe
- Phuket → Helsinki → onward by ferry
- Seoul → London → ferries to France
- Seoul → Oslo → Kiel ferry
None of these routes are perfect, but compared with direct flights that can easily reach €12,000 for a family they can be far more realistic.
Flights might look manageable when you search for one ticket. But when you travel as a family the maths changes instantly. A €3,000 ticket quickly becomes a €12,000 journey home.
Jan Willem van Tilburg, Ferrygogo
This is exactly where alternative routing can start to make much more sense:
Southeast Asia → East Asia → Europe → ferry home.
Example price comparison for a family of four
- Direct flights Southeast Asia → Europe: from roughly €3,000 per person
- Family of four: typically €12,000 or more
- Bangkok → Seoul flights: about €900 total
- Seoul → London flights: about €2,000 total
- Harwich → Hook of Holland ferry cabin: about €350
Total alternative route: roughly €3,250.
Alternative hubs worth considering
- Seoul
- Taipei
- Hong Kong
- Shanghai
- Beijing
- Helsinki
For us personally, Seoul turned out to be the most practical option.
While comparing routes we also spotted an interesting option from Phuket to Helsinki. Arriving in Helsinki opens several onward options towards mainland Europe, including ferries to Sweden, Estonia and Germany.
Ferries rarely appear in flight search engines, but they can solve the final part of the journey surprisingly well.
Our route: Bangkok → Seoul → London → ferry to the Netherlands
Bangkok → Seoul → London → Harwich → Hook of Holland
The final leg is the overnight ferry between England and the Netherlands.
Harwich to Hook of Holland ferry guide
A family cabin costs roughly €350 and means you arrive the next morning with proper beds and space to relax after the long journey.
Why ferries can make sense after long flights
- children do not have to sit in aeroplane seats even longer
- you can walk around freely
- proper beds in cabins
- restaurants onboard
- fresh air on deck
Useful ferry routes once you are back in Europe
Ferry to the Netherlands from the UK
Final thought
Sometimes the answer is simply a small detour, and a cabin at the end of the trip — whether that is a ferry to France or back to the Netherlands.
Jan Willem van Tilburg | Co-founder of FerryGoGo Jan Willem is co-founder of FerryGoGo and focuses strongly on research, editorial strategy and content development. His work includes ferry market analysis, fare research, route comparisons and travel guides built around practical traveller needs and first-hand travel experience. He loves exploring data and the history of the destinations featured on FerryGoGo, and he’s always curious about the population of each place. He’s also sailed many of the ferry routes between the UK and the continent himself; from Saint-Malo–Portsmouth to overnight crossings such as Portsmouth–Cherbourg and Newcastle–Amsterdam - so his guides are grounded in first-hand experience.
