Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Bangkok to Istanbul. The Istanbul approach on the right side is the single most spectacular moment of this flight — the Bosphorus, the Old City, and the Sea of Marmara simultaneously in view is genuinely world-class. The Bangkok departure on the left is good but the central plains are flat and featureless for much of the climb. Right side also gets views of the Zagros Mountains in Iran and parts of the Anatolian plateau during cruise.

During takeoff from Bangkok International (BKK), sit on the Left side for the best views. Suvarnabhumi typically departs northwest on runway 19L/01R or uses runway 19R. A left-side seat during a northwestward climb gives you the Bangkok urban sprawl, the Chao Phraya River snaking through the city, and the dense grid of central Bangkok before the aircraft turns west. Right side faces agricultural flatlands of the central plains with little of interest. Notable sights include: Chao Phraya River bends through central Bangkok, Grand Palace district visible as a dense historic cluster near the river, Bangkok CBD skyline with Sathorn and Silom towers, vast flat patchwork of rice paddies of the central plains.

When landing at Ataturk (IST), sit on the Right side for the best views. Ataturk Airport's primary landing runways are 06/24 and 05/23. Arriving from the east on runway 06, the aircraft approaches over the Sea of Marmara from the south, giving right-side passengers a clear view of the Bosphorus strait, the Istanbul peninsula with the Old City, and the European and Asian sides of the city. Left side faces inland toward suburban sprawl. Notable sights include: Bosphorus Strait separating Europe and Asia, Istanbul Old City peninsula with Sultanahmet district, Sea of Marmara stretching to the south, Princes' Islands visible as small dots in the Marmara.

The flight from Bangkok International (BKK) to Ataturk (IST) takes Approximately 10 to 11 hours.

The route tracks northwest over Myanmar and Bangladesh briefly, then crosses the Bay of Bengal's northern tip, over India's northeast states, across the Indo-Gangetic plain, over Pakistan and Afghanistan's border region, the Zagros Mountain ranges of western Iran with dramatic ridgelines visible from altitude, the Iranian plateau, then into eastern Turkey's high Anatolian plateau before descending toward Istanbul and the Marmara coast