Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Paris to Phuket. While the left side offers the Paris cityscape on departure, the right side wins overall for the approach into Phuket with the extraordinary Phang Nga Bay karst scenery. During the cruise, the right side also tracks closer to the Himalayas as the route passes over Central Asia and India, with distant views of high terrain possible on clear days.

During takeoff from Charles De Gaulle (CDG), sit on the Left side for the best views. CDG typically departs eastward on runways 26R/27L or westward on 08L/09R. On the common eastward departure heading, the left side gives you a clear view south over Paris — you can pick out the Seine river snaking through the city, the Eiffel Tower, and the dense urban grid of central Paris before the aircraft climbs out over the Île-de-France plains. Notable sights include: Seine river bends through central Paris, Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars, La Défense business district tower cluster, Bois de Boulogne forest patch.

When landing at Phuket International (HKT), sit on the Right side for the best views. Phuket Airport sits on the narrow northern tip of Phuket island and typically lands aircraft from the north on runway 09/27 or uses a southward approach on runway 27. On the standard northerly approach over the Andaman Sea, the right side faces east toward the island interior and the dramatic limestone karst islands of Phang Nga Bay — Khao Tapu (James Bond Island) and the surrounding sea stacks are clearly visible as the aircraft descends over the water. Notable sights include: Phang Nga Bay limestone karst islands, Khao Tapu (James Bond Island) sea stack, Sarasin Bridge connecting Phuket to the mainland, Andaman Sea coastline of northern Phuket.

The flight from Charles De Gaulle (CDG) to Phuket International (HKT) takes Approximately 11 to 12 hours.

The route typically tracks southeast over the Alps, then across the Adriatic and Greece, over Turkey and the Levant, across the Arabian Peninsula or Persian Gulf, over the Indian subcontinent crossing the Ganges plain and possibly the Western Ghats coastline, then across the Bay of Bengal before descending into the Malay Peninsula and the Andaman Sea. The Himalayas may be visible as a distant white wall on the northern horizon when crossing northern India or Bangladesh.