Does anyone yet know how far to walk and how long it takes from International Immigration/Baggage retrieval to Domestic Departures ?
Arriving in early December and transferring directly to Khon Kaen. Have been told that I have to do Immigration and collect bags on arrival in BKK before transferring to the Khon Kaen flight.
This is the text of a letter in today's Bangkok Post:
"Two friends left this week from the new airport; this is their feedback.
There are almost no signs, including at counters. There are long lines at check-in and immigration. People are generally confused about where to go and the directions by the staff are often incorrect.
The airport has A, B C and D wings but beyond that it is not easy to find out where to go, as sometimes airlines have multiple flights leaving at the same time and you can end up at the wrong gate.
All of this with long distances to walk each time, causing airlines to complain that people are missing connecting flights, particularly between international and domestic.
The floors are slippery and the airconditioning is spotty and in some places non-existent. My Thai friend heard a lot of cursing from people. I was told that most of the TOT lines were not working on the first day, making it difficult to fix teething problems.
While I realise that this is only the first week of a new and rushed-to-open international airport, many of the advantages we were told about do not seem to have occurred, and while the airport is pretty to look at, it is still poor at the functional level.
Carry additional money for the trip out and add at least one hour to the travel time to get there on what it took at the same time of day to the old airport, plus another hour for the new queue lengths.
LetтАЩs hope next week sees some improvements."
Oh for christ sake ... whiners. Give it a year.
There was a lot of face to be garnered (or lost) when "they" (?) chose the original opening dates. Looks like "they" lost that one (wrong date ~ wrong PM) ... but then "they" are now in London living in Hamstead (or wherever .... no squat toilets) having to put up with Heathrow (that flithy pile).
Should be much nicer in a year (or so) ~ Suvarnabhumi, not Heathrow . . . . just in time for my retirement flight :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
To be quite honest, I shall miss the old Don Muang. There's no memories like heart memories, and some of my great ones have to do with those sublime anticipatory moments of finally getting through immgration and seeing the beloved's arm waving for me in that great roiling cavern full of screaming hotel touts as you finally get out through that big open doorway (like Gloria Swanson) into the sticky heat of Bangkok. My guess is that the new shiny-metal horse barn will never hold a candle to those exquisite moments "back then".
Cheers ...
Just another reason why I love living in Thailand
Whiners, indeed.
I used the airport for the first time yesterday and experienced no delays and no queues whatsoever. In fact, taking the advice of whiners like the one quoted above, I arrived so early that I ended up sitting around waiting for my flight for three hours.
You'd have to be and idiot not to be able to find the correct check-in line (just look at a monitor), and even more of an idiot not to be able to find your departure gate: A, B, C, or D, then follow the numbers.
The floors aren't "slippery", but the white color does attract scuffs. Probably not the best choice, but anything is better than the light mustard yellow motif of the old airport.
No one has mentioned that one line -- the one to have your check-in bags X-rayed, which you used to have to do before check-in at Don Muang -- has been eliminated. One less line to wait in, and one less opportunity to twist your back handling suitcases.
Security now asks you to remove laptops from your check-in bags, and to put them through the X-ray separately. That is different from before. They asked me to take off my watch and put it through with my mobile phone and keys, as well.
Also, no little cameras at immigration, so you don't have to worry about fixing your bed head for your photo op after a long flight.
Oh, and another plus is that parking is free -- at least for the moment.
Altogether, this is a world class airport. Perhaps not up to the exalted levels of Changi, put certainly right up there with HK and KL.
Originally Posted by Smiles
Hmmm.......how about one more week? (I arrive about 11:30AM and have a flight at 1:15PM to CNX.....I'll let you know if I make it).
Guys, I asked if anyone yet knew how far and how long it takes to get from International Immigration/baggage reclaim to the Domestic departures ?
Whilst your posts are interesting they don't answer the problem. Help please from anyone who has some knowledge to answer the question. Thanks
BG, where did you park (at a short term or long term carpark?), for how long?, and if it is a longterm carpark how did you travel from the carpark to terminal?. Many thanks.
I parked right at the terminal. There is a six-floor parking building attached to it, with a foot bridge linking the departures level to level five of the parking building. Just stroll across and you're there.
They look like they are gearing up guard boxes to give tickets and take payment, but for the moment it is 100% free. I left my car there for three days while making a quick trip.
Snowcat, did you read this ?
More on my blog at : llz.blogspot.com
Thanks VM. No, I hadn't read it but have now done so and it answers my question.Snowcat, did you read this ?
However, it does appear to be quite daunting to have to struggle up and down escalators and moving walkways with suitcase(s) - not looking forward to it one little bit !ukeright:
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