Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Jean-Louis Vergaert

4 December 2007   Customer Rating :

On my arrival at the new Bangkok airport (Suvarnabhumi), I found that taxis were not at the basement anymore, but at the same level as arrival. When you get out of the basement, you simply walk outside, then either to the far left or the far right. There are names for the exits of the main building, and taxi's are located at either exit 3 or 9. I found there is no public taxi sign. This is a total scandal for an airport, and I am sure that this done on purpose to favor the limousine services, as you can contract an airport limousine at the luggage area. Once out, you will be pestered by a crowd of persistent touts until you reach the taxi stand. The airport authorities should understand that this behavior has no place anymore when you pretend to be a first class airport of a first class tourist location, Meter cost to city center = Thb 250 + tip + expressway.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Ron Kuhlmann

28 November 2007   Customer Rating :

Certainly a step up from the past and quite attractive. I do not buy duty free so did not experience that aspect. For the money spent it probably could have been better but basically I was pleased.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Jason Butler

28 November 2007   Customer Rating :

I sit here and write this review from one of the smaller lounges (not sure which one as I have moved from 3 other lounges across the airport until I found one which was not overcrowded and which had shower facility). I also wanted to find a lounge which had adequately functioning computers with internet, which was hard to find. As many of the other reviews I am amazed by this airport, for all the wrong reasons. A few people have mentioned that this place was excellent, and I can not agree. If you have to spend any amount of time in this airport and you do not have access to the lounges you are not going to have a decent experience. Even if you are lucky enough to find a chair to sit on (that is not in a restaurant/cafe) it is very hard, and not at all comfortable. This airport is great to look at coming in on the plane, and is also easy on the eye on the inside. Just dont expect to be overly comfortable.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by T Longdon

23 November 2007   Customer Rating :

The more I use Suvarnabhumi, the more I get used to its idiosyncrasies. It's really not a bad airport, if you know a few tips and tricks. One commentor below mentioned a 50-minute wait but also mentioned priority luggage - go to the right-hand side of immigration and use Fast Track. Although I'm always flying Business (and not always TG), I'm never asked to produce even the boarding pass to prove I should be in this line. Yes the duty-free IS expensive, and that has to do with it being given to (or bought by!) King Power. There's not much that can be done about that at this late stage, despite what the Thai press says.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by F Chan

16 November 2007   Customer Rating :

On arrival, had to wait in line for 50 minutes to clear immigration. My luggage was not to be seen despite given a priority ag, even after the last bags of my flight had been offloaded. My bag was finally found at a corner outside the belt. Apparently the staff remove priority bags and put them in a corner, but who would spot them with the hordes of people everywhere.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Peter Matza

14 November 2007   Customer Rating :

Sadly the airport reflects poorly on Thailand. Just compare the experience with Changi, Hong Kong or even KLIA. Poor signage, struggling aircon, unhelpful/inefficient im/emmigration processing and very expensive 'tax free' shopping. Overeall it's ok but could have been a real showcase.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by R Slatter

12 November 2007   Customer Rating :

I was in transit from my Melbourne flights, waiting for a connection to Vientiane, Laos. I've done lots of travel and I've never been in an airport so devoid of signage. For example, I got off my plane at gate D34 (for example). I needed to find what gate I had to get to for my Vientiane flight. But, there were no boards showing what flights departed from what gates. So I walked all the way down to one end of concourse D, only to find that the gate I had to go to (gate D1) was right up the other end. To walk from one end to the other takes approximately 15 minutes. I also agree with previous notes about how difficult it is to find the various lounges. The airport is new, clean and looks great. But the logistics are a nightmare!

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Phil Raven

11 October 2007   Customer Rating :

A great airport if you can use the THAI First/Business class area to check in. The THAI lounges are already overcrowded and the business class area is also quite tatty now. Signs around the airport are still poor, and there are no facilities once you go through to the boarding gates. It may have looked good on an architects plan, but this is still a long way from Hong Kong or Seoul for comfortable new airport standards. As for the duty free, prices are terrible, and the whole airport is under the monopoly of King Power - so save your money for other airports.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Anthony Vargas

17 August 2007   Customer Rating :

I had to queue for about 90 minutes to check in for my flight to Frankfurt Am Main. On top of that, there were very long queues at immigration. Maybe it was just bad luck. The first time using Suvarnabhumi airport I breezed through. However this time Thai had kept desks closed and on top of all that, there were several immigration desks closed, also. The airport itself, is clean and is a drastic improvement over Don Muang, which, despite having served Bangkok so well, was showing its age. However, there are still some problems. When trying to buy a ticket for an internal flight i had to ask directions as the sign posting was not very good. Also, the layout of the airport isn't up there with the best of them. It all seems to be very samey and easy to wander off and then have a mission to find your way back. However, despite this I have no problems using this airport. It's extremely clean with friendly and helpful staff.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Christian Alt

17 August 2007   Customer Rating :

Check-in for Royal First Class pax simply excellent. It took around 15 minutes from the entrance to the lounge (including check-in, passport control and accompanied transport by electric buggy to the lounge). Lounge very spacious, very friendly service. Good thing is the transport by buggy from the lounge to the gate especially when the gate is around 2 km away from the lounge.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by B McDougall

17 August 2007   Customer Rating :

International to Domestic transit, domestic arrival and international departure, quite impressive. Immigration was quick on arrival but then we were left to our own devices in the domestic piers for a three hour transit. The signage is minimal and the multilingual departure boards require a special skill at speed reading. There is precious little seating on the concourses - you need to go through security to the individual gate for that. There was only one food court option that we could find and it was OK. I had tried to learn the layout from the web-site before travel but was still bewildered. Our domestic arrival was fine the bags were on the belt when we arrived after the long trek from an outer gate. The bus level is daunting but efficient. Our international departure was good - quick check-in and short wait for formalities/passport control and the international concourse is pleasant - if a bit short of general seating areas. There are many food/drink options and nice enough shops. Final security is at the gate and strict about liquids so no duty free liquor or perfumes/cosmetics. The huge terminal is impressive and is even quite attractive during an afternoon Thai downpour when the water cascades off the structure. Distances are huge but there are plenty of moving foot-ways to compensate.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Christoph Haas

13 August 2007   Customer Rating :

Thai has its own designated check-in area for premium passengers. The business class check-in area is spacious and not crowded. No waiting time. Fast handling by efficient and friendly staff. You can sit down for the process. Special fast track immigration for Royal Silk passenger and I was through in less than 5 minutes and to the specious Royal Silk Class Lounge. The ways to the gates can be a bit long, but it is a large airport. Arrival nice and only a short walk to immigration, which was easy and done in less than 10 minutes. Luggage was already ready to pick-up behind the immigration and in another 15 mintues I was in the taxi to my apartment. A nice airport even it is big, but all international hubs are. They made a lot of improvement over the time and they are on the right way.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by J Wachrasetkul

27 July 2007   Customer Rating :

Used this airport twice in July: 1 domestic and 1 international. On arrival, immigration process was relatively quick. Baggage claim took quite some time but not too bad. On departure, from check in area to immigration was smooth. Once through the immigration, I was impressed with varieties of shops and restaurants as well as the Thai decorations throughout. I checked the price of foods & drinks and they were overpriced - double or triple of prices downtown Bkk. The lighting was fine in shopping area but once at the gate it was too dim. Toilet locations easy to find but the number of cubicle was insufficient for this hub airport. Didn't have problems with sign post at all, but agree it was insufficient. Especially if you were late at the airport and rushing to find the direction to your gate, you might end up running back and forth to find the sign post. Still noticed some minor constructions going on, but overall the airport was ready for its full operation.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Stanley Fuller

6 July 2007   Customer Rating :

Used BKK twice, one international arrival and departure. On arrival, walk to Immigration was a little long but not bad, was through immigration in approx 10 minutes and location of luggage carrousel was near exit from immigration. Within 15 minutes has all suitcases and headed for the door. Used arrival area que for taxi, wait was 5 minutes. Departure arrived about 6:30 and was done in 15 minutes. Long walk to departure gate, but there were moving walks to help if needed, and if you give yourself plenty of time there is no problem. Only long wait was departure immigration, took 20 minutes to get through. A lot of places to purchase items, food etc. prior to last security check. Only drawback is no place to purchase drink/food after last security check point near gates. No problem with toilets as there were at departure gate.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Erich Koller

27 June 2007   Customer Rating :

Passed through BKK 1 week ago. Airport is not that bad, only trouble is, once you're through security there is nothing else than waiting chairs (if any available). The chairs are a bit too hard and certainly not adequate to a brand new airport. The airport is quite a shopping-center and seems to be packed with shops. However, check-in is fair and fast and arrival is also quite welcoming. Overall, this airport has quite some room for improvements left, especially in terms of restaurants and signage. The overall concept with the different concourses is, however, well designed and in line with other major hubs in Asia.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by B McLaughlin

25 June 2007   Customer Rating :

Flying out of Suvarnabhumi isn't so bad. Check-in is OK; immigration isn't bad; walks are a bit long. And it's very hot - some airline staff have parasols. The idea that you can buy water airside, but you can't take it through the final security check to the gate or on to the plane seems unique to BKK, and is extremely annoying. Landing at Suvarnabhumi is a mess. There are no signposts: both times I got off a plane there this month, no-one knew where to go to get to immigration. Immigration itself was a mess. We were lucky - we got through in about 45 minutes - but there were people queueing for 2 hours or more. The immigration man claimed that the delays were because "the software is new... the whole airport is new". It's been open since last year - this excuse isn't good enough. Once you get through, the airport-owned limousines are on the same floor as arrivals. But normal taxis are downstairs, with one tiny sign pointing to the escalator. This smacks of a nasty attempt to rip people off as they leave the airport.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by H Bachert

22 June 2007   Customer Rating :

Concrete, sterile facility, long walks or too few toilets is all true but one has to consider this is a really large airport. All in all its very clean, and due to an open glass/steel construction it seems bright and clearly arranged. The airport staff is not very organized and have difficulties with even the most basic requests, such as for a post office. Three extremely importent employees produced three different solutions to the problem - in the end I just gave my post card to one of them. People with connecting domestic flights from the old Don Muang should bring plenty of time and good nerves. The bus transport back to the old airport can only be described as chaotic. Departing from Suvarnabhumi a breeze. Everything well signed, even on the highway there are already large boards leading the passengers to the correct entry gate. Check in area can't be missed as it is right behind the doors. The area past passport control is one big shopping mall which makes the long walk to the actual gate somewhat less stressful. The final step through the last security control should be avoided for as long as possible as after that there's nothing but endless rows of chairs, a single toilet and a drinking water basin. Overall a pleasant experience - certainly not an Incheon or Changi but a refreshing change especially if you arrive from any of the bigger European hubs.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Kev Johnson

14 June 2007   Customer Rating :

Travelled through this new airport for the first time in May. There are some long walks (this is a hub remember!), and the aircon could be a little cooler. On arrival, we were in our taxi within 40 minutes of the plane landing! This was due to adequate immigration staff and very efficient baggage handling. On departure, there were no queues at check- in (which was efficiently handled) and the signage from there was fine. Toilets seemed plentiful and clean. One negative point though. Don't head to your gate too early, there were no refreshment options available there at all, not even a coke machine!

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Gerard Byrne

7 June 2007   Customer Rating :

Used the new airport during April. Much improved over Don Muang. Only 2 small thing that bothered me: As Andy Johnson said, the AC could be stronger. I thought the heat was stifling inside the airport. And the other thing: the announcements. There was such an echo over the loudspeakers, the announcements became inaudible.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Andy Johnson

28 May 2007   Customer Rating :

Passed through Suvarnabhumi a number of times in April during Thai new year (Songkran) normally a time when chaos rules. I have to say I was very impressed with the new airport. Yes there are long walks but come on you will get them with any country’s main airport, look at Heathrow or JFK! I passed through the airport at various times of the day and night for international and domestic flights and can’t really fault it. Even the staff on the immigration counters managed to smile, which is rare. I didn’t seem to have any problems with signage and finding my way around and thought the toilets were fine. Only minor point is that maybe the air conditioning could do with being little bit more powerful. I love the long tail boat as you come out into the duty free area and like the concept they have created with the food islands. All my flight managed to leave on time with ground staff friendly and offering the famous “Thai Smile” Overall a good experience, I think its an airport Thailand should be proud of.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Nigel Smith

22 May 2007   Customer Rating :

A big improvement. There are long walks if your aircraft is not at a gate close to immigration, but that's the same anywhere. No queues at passport control, and with no checked baggage I was in a taxi within about 15 minutes of disembarking. This was at 3pm, not a particularly quiet time of day. Coming back, plenty of helpful staff at the entry to the check in area, and I was able to check in 5 hours early. Too many shops and not enough seating, I think they want you to shop and not sit down. Toilets clean and empty, even at 7pm. Plenty of decent places to eat. Overall a good experience.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Norman Sutherland

20 May 2007   Customer Rating :

Open 8 months now and not many of the passenger-oriented problems with this airport seem to be getting resolved. The previous comments say it all. For me the best parts of the airport are; Thai Business Class Check-In (though not other airlines) and the Baggage Hall - both well designed, quick and efficient. The worst parts are the often lengthy walking distances, poor and confusing signage, a zoo of an arrivals area and terrible air-conditioning and toilets - in short, all the stuff that makes the airport a simple and comfortable experience for passengers. For a frequent Business Traveller, travelling light, who knows their way around Suvarnbhumi is fine - for a family of 4 on vacation with lots of bags - not good.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Steve Maier

20 May 2007   Customer Rating :

I have been going through Suvarnabhumi twice in May. On the way over I had six hours to kill, so plenty of time to check Suvarnabhumi out. I spent time in the business lounge of China Airlines - lounge not great, but ok. The shops in the airport were usual standard you find in all airports. I took a day room for four hours. This concept is great - a hotel airside. You can have a nap and a shower and re-start the trip refreshed. My second stay was much shorter, as I had only a 1.5 hour connection time. But again, I have made my connection without any problem. I even was able to go to the First class lounge of Thai, which was close to perfect. There are some long walking distances, but it is a large airport, designed for many passenger flights going through. I agree that you can see tiles coming off the wall, but which major building has started without problems. I think Thailand has done a good job in building this new airport. All my flights left exactly on time. I used the toilets and found no problem in doing so.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by James Halley

10 May 2007   Customer Rating :

As someone who uses this airport several times every month, it is i am afraid as bad as people say it is. The comments show that this alleged state of the art airport is seriously flawed thanks to politicians deciding when it might be ready rather than 'the experts' deciding otherwise. This airport is a nightmare to go through. Bottom line. None of the comments I have seen are lies. Go to a domestic corridor toilet and see the single urinal (sorry girls, send the other half) for yourself. To give credit where it is due, there is now an immigration desk at the domestic TG transit area so coming back from CAN last week I cleared immigration not in Chiang Mai, but in this new area. The benefit - no lines. One still clears customs as usual in CNX, but what a smashing idea. anything beats queuing up behind a batch of passengers from a certain country who seem incapable of completing a landing card. Well done Thai immigration for this idea. I hope it is permanent. And talking of connections, the last flight to Chiang Mai from BKK is at 7.00pm. I just caught my connection last Monday, but the luggage didnt. Unless TG whisk you round to DMK you are stuck in BKK until the next morning. And this is their idea of a service to the number 2 city in Thailand, over 350 miles from the capital. A complaint about this posted in the Bangkok media from a tour organiser was replied to by TG by simply listing the flights available and the main point was just ignored. The outcome - the tour group isnt coming to Chiang Mai. Come on Thai. I was a TG passenger this time round and expect to get home the same day if i leave a city mid-afternoon in a time zone just one hour ahead of Thailand.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Paul Harvey

9 May 2007   Customer Rating :

Unfinished is the only way to describe it. I was there briefly in transit and found that one walks a long way to get anywhere, signage is confusing and staff look puzzled. Do not expect too much at this stage (although it looks very nice !)

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Lynne Brisco

5 May 2007   Customer Rating :

It is very large and grey a bit futuristic. The signage is very confusing and walking distances to the gate are long - not for those with walking problems. I prefer Don Muang airport. The duty free is much more expensive. The airport looks the same throughout, no character. Much easier on arrival than on departure.T he only good point is the Bangkok airways departure lounge for Domestic.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by B Meek

5 May 2007   Customer Rating :

This airport is already looking filthy, tired and has insufficient signage.At check in I could not hear the check in agent who could also not hear me - all the announcements that resinate in that huge open space. I used the KLM lounge which is nice but all the windows in the airport are filthy and to look out its like being in a construction zone. One good thing is that when you finally reach and clear immigration, the baggage caousel is right there. I do not understand why when we arrived on the way into BKK we had no gate asssigned and had to be put on buses when there seemed to be twenty to thirty or more gates free. I dont like this airport at all

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Clayton Seymour

5 May 2007   Customer Rating :

Travelled in and out of the new airport several times last month. Not as bad as we anticipated. I agree the upper floor is too hot, as testified by staff at the ticketing desks sporting parasols to protect themselves from the sun shining through the glass roof, so you wouldn't want to spend too long waiting to check in during the day. We were in and out like a breeze on all our flights - our international sectors were possibly helped by the morning arrival and departure times. We easily found & obtained public taxis. An obvious disadvantge is the distance from downtown Bangkok - much further than Don Muang, although I suppose if you're are heading or, coming from the eastern seaboard it's much better. Duty Free tobacco and alcohol isn't expensive but, my wife could have bought her favourite perfume cheaper in LHR. On the two occasions we chose to eat, we used the voucher style food court below the observation deck.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Tim Spooner

24 March 2007   Customer Rating :

Terrible white tile floors which are slippery beyond belief in many areas are a constant danger to poor old codgers like me with brittle bones! Thai Royal Silk Lounge still does not label foods, so no idea what you are picking up. Staff don't seem to know or care. If you don't eat pork or beef, this can be a problem. Immigration staff seem to be quick and efficient and definitely starting to smile more. Only the passengers who have not filled in their Arrival/Departure cards seem to slow everybody down. I go through this airport 8 times a year and think it is better than DM.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Jonathan Rose

10 March 2007   Customer Rating :

I fly from Europe to Australia about 5-6 times a year. I have been a loyal Thai customer for years, but thats changing now. This airport is an absolute disaster. Don Muang was aging, but at least it was easy to navigate and had excellent lounges and shopping areas. Suvarnabhumi is unbelievably bad. Despite being a bigger airport, often the plane doesn't deplane directly to the terminal (and I'm talking about 747s and 777s, not smaller regional planes) and you are dropped off in a part of the airport which you then have to walk for 30-40 mins to reach your flight. Thats if you can find your way. The signage is awful, and there's no one around to direct you. The Thai lounge is best compared to a hospital waiting room. This airport is so bad I have started to fly Singapore Airlines in order to avoid it.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Keith Blizard

3 March 2007   Customer Rating :

On landing found it much quicker to clear immigration than Don Muang and luggage retrieval also better. We had to transfer to check in for a domestic flight, the area through to Thai check in was congested and obviously badly designed. When we eventually found the Thai lounge, we were most disappointed. We found it far inferior to the one at Don Muang. For a modern building we were not impressed. Returning for our flight to the UK, check in was easier, they now collect your departure tax at check in now 700 baht. After clearing immigration we were impressed with the food outlets and duty free shops, you would have to arrive early to visit them all. There are numerous problems with runway and taxiway subsidence, and several skywalks are damaged and not operational resulting in many flights being bussed in. There is talk of Don Muang reopening for Domestic flights, but for people with onward connections it is going to add time to their journeys. We pray the faults are rectified before a major incident arises. Thailand deserves better than this!

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Mike Davies

28 February 2007   Customer Rating :

The new airport is a disaster for me. Already overcrowded with flights in and out, it cannot cope with the ever-increasing volume of international and domestic traffic. First - the architecture. Sometimes, my flight doesn't even park at the terminal - there's a connecting bus trip from the aircraft. My wife got lost airside in Suvarnabhumi, due to poor signage and poor communications. The business class lounge, for which I had great expectations, offers no improvement. Landside, Economy check-in seems to be more congested than Don Muang.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Pedro Gil

26 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

New airport looks very nice when you land at night. At daytime already looks old and dirty! It's not passenger friendly. Terrible signing (arrows in opposite directions for the same destination such as a lounge our emigration). In C departure concourse (Thai international) there were only 4 or 5 shops (unless they were hidden somewhere and I couldn't find them.) Boarding was quite chaotic. An interesting fact: Thai authorities are giving "smiling" lessons to immigration officials (who have been total aliens in a country of gentle and smiling people).

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Gordon Sadler

26 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

Arrival was good, through immigration and customs in about 45 mins - we were lucky as we were directed to a virtually empty immigration area, whereas the one we were walking towards appeared full and very slow. Coming out today, flying Qatar Airways, we didn't have any trouble in finding the necessary information for checking in. Check in was not too bad, again at immigration we were directed to empty immigration area. Once through I was impressed with airside facilities - shops seemed to go on and on, although checking prices in Jim Thomsons shop - they were more expensive than the prices in his shop in Bangkok, so I don't think there's much element of duty free here. Had time for a snack, and was impressed with the cafe - all the dishes were laid out for you to choose, and you could watch the staff in the kitchen preparing your food. Walk to the gate D6 was quite long, and wouldn't like to do it if in a hurry. Overall using this airport was a nice experience - there are issues.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by D Mcneice

26 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

Suvanarabhumi must be one of the worst airports in the world. I have used it twelve times in the last two months. The "helpers" stationed around to assist people have no idea about anything. The airport's lounges are a fifteen minute walk from any plane and the actual departure gate waiting areas are terrible. Whomever it was that designed this "space box" should never be asked to design anything else. Unfortunately it is an embarrassment to the good Thai people.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Richard Waring

26 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

Arrived to find most comments made by other accurate. By this I mean very quick immigration (4mins) as was baggage retreval. Did not like the grey concrete walls (surely they could have been painted) or the coils of electric cables coming out of walls and going nowhere. The lighting was also very poor. However, the worst was yet to come. We were transferring to Phuket and arriving at the gate discovered that we were being taken by bus to the plane. The plane was a jumbo (full) and they drove hundreds of us round to the next pier were we had to disembark, walk up a flight of steps in order to enter the plane by snorkel. Why not just tell people to board from the new gate? Arriving back, again we had to get on a bus after landing. Not what you would expect from a brand new airport. Left us wondering if all domestic flights were using buses to transport passengers as we were not the only one's arriving at the terminal by bus.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Jeffrey Leong

26 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

On arrival, I got through immigration and baggage collection within 45 mins. The immigration officer did not seem friendly but did not matter too much to me. For departure, check -in a breeze, especially for business class/first class passengers although there were queues for economy class passengers. The departure tax, which has recently increased from 500 bahts to 700 bahts for international flights, I was pleased that the airport included it in the air fare, so I did not have to pay the additional fee (as we had to previously when we used Don Muang Airport). The airport even has attendants who collected the trolleys for passengers at check in. The signage could be improved. There were well-signed toilets everywhere and the one I used seemed to function well (much to my relief!). Parts of the airport terminal concrete structure made it looked a bit rough and incomplete, but it is a much better airport than I had feared. The air-conditioning worked well even in the intense heat. It may not be the most beautiful airport in the world, but it is certainly not ugly, and at least it works (at least sometimes!).

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by David Chinn

15 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

In and out of BKK from LHR. Previous posts about the "sausage factory" made me crack up - a bit like their taxiways - and the description is apt. Walking distances are high and it does look like a factory: hardly a welcoming environment. On the good side, the queue for immigration inbound was only 5 minutes with lots of desks open and baggage delivery (EVA Air) was quick. Terrible design for the meeting/greeting area outside customs where chaos is a polite term for the frenzy. Shambolic on the road outside arrivals where our car picked us up, but at 4pm it was only a 30 minute trip to Sukhumvit Road. Departing was not as bad as we had feared, although the signage and toilets (especially round the gates) is as bad as everyone says. The proposed transfer of many flights back to Don Muang sort of summarises the whole project and Changi need not be concerned about losing its pre-eminence in the Asian airport hierarchy. Overall, Suvarnabhumi wasn't as bad as we had expected, but it could have been so much better designed/built/launched: fingers crossed it gets better.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Dave Banham

13 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

I found the airport to be good. There are many conveyor walk ways and these move very fast. Immigration was a 10 minute wait and I noticed a few people being sent back to get a visa I suspect for stays longer than 28 days from an office around the corner. Luggage arrived promptly and located the taxis by following the signs without any trouble after side stepping a few of the limousine people. Toilets were clean. Plenty of shops. The bus catching area appeared crowded so I did not venture there. Taxi via freeway 260bth to Bangkok including a 50bth booking fee.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Steve Davies

8 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

I used the new airport four times during Dec/Jan and found my way around without any problems. My bags arrived quickly, immigration on the way in and check-in on the way out were straightforward & without long queues. There is ample shopping and food outlets, they are building more toilets and fixing some of the other problems. It's huge and needs some time to settle in.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Chris Bridge

5 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

Used the new airport in January, Arrival was fine, fair walk to Immigration but was through in 25 mins from Plane to Taxi ! Departure was chaotic! Check in was slow & busy, 45 mins to wait in queue is really not good enough. Be aware that once you go airside through the Gates there is no food or drink available. personally we prefer the old BKK but will see what improvements 6 months can make on our next trip.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Y Wong

5 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

On transit from Penang to Beijing. Impressive building compare to the old airport that was cramped. I found missing is that no information screen about the flight and gate once you pass thru the security check. Also the restroom in the boarding area also insufficient. There is wifi available but when I try to purchase the wifi access seems nobody aware of it or they do not understand what I want.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Brian Smith

1 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

Just traveled in and out of “the sausage factory” (funny comment from the previous person as it does look a bit like the interior of a sausage casing). I found it to be better than the old airport with a few exceptions. The immigration hall could easily be clogged up. All aisles open, but packed. The arrival hall is maddening, chaotic, and tiny for the number of people relying on tour transport and greeting by transport! Be prepared. There are plenty of gold and jewelry shops, duty free and other overpriced products to be bought in the much improved departures hall, but they don’t have enough food stalls. These three problems could have been taken care of at the drawing board. I think we’ll all have to live with these shortcomings now that it’s complete. Of course they now have to worry about the cracked taxiways. Even though I complain, it really was an improvement over the old airport, though it’s not as good as other hubs in Southeast Asia.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Jean-Louis Vergaert
1 February 2007

Not a bad airport, which can be given a chance to improve - Hong Kong also had a bad start. I would have preferred more conveyor walkways to connect the concourses at departure. All the shops and restaurants are over-priced - especially compared to Bangkok - but this is nothing new everywhere, and at least the restaurants are design. The domestic departure is systematically bussed, very frustrating, but we knew it was opened a little bit prematurely, and I think we must give it another 12 months.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Tim Longdon
1 February 2007

Just to comment on Kim White's note. I live in BKK and only fly Thai. Most arrivals for me are at the far end of concourse C, so also the maximum walk. I would recommend getting the crew to ask for ground assistance in advance as there are literally tons of airport staff with nothing to do, and a lot of buggies they will help elderly/infirm people with.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Kim White
29 January 2007

The woes of this airport are compounding fast. Arrived on British Airways and had to contend with what seemed like a 1Km walk to Immigration. The fast conveyor walkways are there for the young and nimble but it would be too dangerous for an elderly or infirm passenger to attempt to jump on and off especially if they were holding cabin baggage. No one was available to operate the couple of electric trolleys which could have alleviated this problem. Came back flying Thai and this time the walk was bearable. Basically it seems that Thai Airways always docks closest while other airlines are banished to the outer reaches of this awful and huge terminal which is designed successfully like a one building sausage factory. A dreadful design overall.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Norman Sutherland
29 January 2007

Been through a few times now and a steady improvement is evident. Still a lot of bussing going on especially on Thai, even with on-time arrivals - no idea why. Immigration is no problem. I really like the availability of Duty Free Goods and Money Exchange in the Baggage Claim area, but they have a disconcerting habit of changing which belt your baggage comes out on. So after about 10 minutes and you haven't seen your bag just check that they haven't changed the carousel. Taxis on the ground floor are much better organized now, with not much queuing involved but they really do need to clear out the taxi touts in Arrivals. As for departures - slick and quick, but more Departure Tax booths would be better. They also need to do something with the screen displays which cycle far too quickly between Thai and English - fine if you read one or the other, but not everyone does. Sadly the toilets are some of the poorest in the region with constantly wet floors from these stupid glass wash-hand bowls they've installed - a total nightmare for the poor cleaning staff. They should take a lesson from Seoul.