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Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport in a nutshell
Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) is Thailand’s main international gateway and one of the largest transit airports in South-East Asia.
If you are flying to Thailand from Europe, the Middle East or Australia, you will most likely land here.
It is situated approximately 25 km east of central Bangkok and, as well as serving as a destination in its own right, often acts as a transit point for onward journeys across Asia or to Australia.
However, Bangkok has two airports. Low-cost airlines (such as AirAsia) use the smaller Don Mueang (DMK), which may be a factor when combining flights or transferring between them.
If you’re arriving in the evening or have an early morning departure, it often makes more sense to stay overnight right by the airport rather than having to travel into the city centre at night.
View hotels near Suvarnabhumi Airport
We’ve also tried other Thai airports
Get more tips for travelling from Bangkok Airport
Whether you’re arriving to or departing from Bangkok Airport, check out our handy tips and recommendations:
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5 comments
Richard _4
Translated from cestee.cz
I am flying with Qatar Airways to BKK and have a connecting domestic flight (different ticket). There is only 1:30 h between the flights. I am flying with a handbook only and will have online check-in. Will they let me through transit immigration in BKK even though I have separate tickets? Or do I have to go through main immigration out and into the departure lounge again? Thanks!
Kryštof Hájek
Translated from cestee.cz
If you check in online, you should be allowed in.
Richard _4
Translated from cestee.cz
Thanks! :)
Richard _4
Translated from cestee.cz
they wouldn't let me in, I had to go through a standard security check
Kryštof Hájek
Translated from cestee.cz
Like, all the way out to the terminal? There's a security check in transit, just separate. I changed planes a year ago to Phuket and didn't have to go outside (with THAI Airways).
Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience.
Richard _4
Translated from cestee.cz
Yeah, I had to go out normally.
Nikaver
Translated from cestee.cz
Hello, in February we are flying Prague-Doha-BKK-Koh Samui for the first time. All on one ticket with checked baggage. I'm a bit scared of getting lost in BKK, so I'm checking on a connection. We are supposed to be in BKK at 1:05pm and have 2:45hrs to change planes. I know to follow the transfer sign, then the transfer sign Krabi, Samui, etc... and it directs me to immigration, we go through there, then I just look for the sign for our gate? My concern is that I don't go anywhere outside the transfer zone after checking 🙈 thank you so much for the confirmation 😌
Kryštof Hájek
Translated from cestee.cz
Hello, you describe it exactly :) Just follow the signs for "Transfer to Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui" etc and don't follow the signs for "Immigration".
That's assuming that your baggage will be checked in at Koh Samui, which you'll find out in Prague (but that's usually the case with the Qatar Airways + Bangkok Airways collaboration).
Nikaver
Translated from cestee.cz
Thank you very much, so just follow the transfer to Phuket, Krabi etc and it will take us there and through immigration. Good to know, I'd definitely follow the Immigration sign so I'd get lost. Thank you so much!!! 🙏🙏
Sue Ellen Ewing
Translated from cestee.cz
There is a problem with drug controls in BKK.
They randomly pick passengers at immigration control who are suspicious and then they have to undergo an additional body cavity search, which is very delaying for a short layover, not to mention the fact that it's quite a problem to sit on your ass on the next flight...
Karen Jacobsen
Translated from cestee.dk
Hi again, I can see now that I arrive in Bangkok, transfer to Krabi. We have a one hour 30 min. Transfer time, but we transfer from Thai to Bangkok Airlines. Is this enough time?
Kryštof Hájek
Translated from cestee.cz
Hi, yes. As long as your flights are purchased as one booking, it doesn't matter which airline you continue with.
Karen Jacobsen
Translated from cestee.dk
We arrive in Bangkok with Thai Airlines and have a 1 hour 15 minute wait before flying to Krabi. The whole trip is booked with Thai. We will have luggage. Is this acceptable?
floodland
Translated from cestee.cz
Yes, it's acceptable. 1:15 is the minimum connection time for these transfers.
Martina _27
Translated from cestee.cz
Hi, check out my comment on Thai Airways regarding the change in Bangkok.
Current info for chickens (maybe it applies to all airports in Thailand): do not light up outside the one booth reserved for smoking. There's some kind of full-blown retreat going on. A group of 4 people were surrounded by about 7 - 8 cops, they took our passports and took us to the local station.
On the way we met a group of about 20 people leaving in the opposite direction, probably from the previous group. They sat us down in a meeting room where about 15 people were waiting. There followed about 10 minutes of a lecture about what we had done, that the king had built a barn for us and we were not using it. They showed some pictures from instagram where some Thai megainfluencer is taking pictures of people smoking in front of the airport and it's cracking online, which is probably the reason for this whole move.
In the end, we may or may not have confessed. After confessing, they sent us to an ATM and charged us 5,000 baht each.
So you'd better take a walk through the celyletiste to the only courier outside, or pay for a lounge with a courier - it's cheaper :)
In most places in Thailand, smoking is not allowed outside. I've been reprimanded a few times in the past. Luckily I don't have to deal with it anymore 😃