Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Passenger Reviews and Customer opinions

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  10 September 2009 by N Sutherland   (UK)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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Security checks have been relocated from near the Gate Areas and are now squeezed in between Immigration and the main concourse going from what was previously 6 or 8 relatively spacious areas, down to 3 horrendously congested areas. Fortunately I went through at a very quiet time - at busy times it'll be a nightmare with 100% of the checked in and passport-stamped passengers being funnelled through these choke points. This repositioning is certainly more conventional but the airport layout is simply not designed for it... not good - so be prepared for lengthy waits for both Immigration and Security.

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  4 September 2009 by R Woodhead   (Thailand)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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A huge place which is very busy in terms of passenger numbers and design; noise everywhere, color and lights - felt more like an amusement park. Very little seating had to resort to buying something to eat. No quiet areas with seats. It was a relief to get onboard my flight.

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  2 September 2009 by Steve Hayes   (New Zealand)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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I luckily did not have the huge queues at immigration that others have experienced. I did find it strange to get bussed to the terminal on arrival from Sydney when we pulled up at a remote stand. Not too good to be clambering down wet steps in the rain after a nine hour flight. At least the aircon on the bus was working which is better than for the airport itself. Both arriving and departing were warm experiences as the aircon just did not seem up to it. On departure to AKL I used the business class check in at door one. Good service and dedicated passport control with no queues. I went down to the duty free, talk about pricey. Back up the ramp to the escalators to the TG lounge which was well appointed. Found it strange that in a new building there are signs asking you not to flush tissue down the toilet in the lounge though, but to put it in a bin. I would have thought the plumbing would be up to it. Decent walk to "C" concourse for departure with no travelators to assist. Got lost as did not see the sign, ended up on the "B" concourse. Room for improvement in the signage. Still using A4 bits of paper in place of proper signs around the place (To indicate where toilets or smoking rooms were). All in all, room for improvement.

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  31 August 2009 by K Pardoe   (Australia)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Landed 1415, bit of a delay at immigration but have been through a lot worse. Collected baggage and caught taxi to hotel. Was checking into hotel 75 minutes after touchdown. Arrived for check in with Thai and quickly through - had been warned of high prices airside. Very slow through immigration, but seemed to be the line I was in only. No security until arrived at gate area. Also a physical bag check at the gate which I have not encountered before. Saw the infrastructure for the train between the airport and the city which is scheduled to open 5th December.

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  17 August 2009 by Farouk Mogheth   (Czech Republic)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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Living in Thailand for 5 years, every flight I take makes me think of the better days (Don Muang airport). Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport (even though trying to erase the troubles that were created from its inception) still remain. Check in is usually hassle free but anything after that is pain. Passport control is my constant problem as it is slow, inefficient and smiles are missing. In peak hours make sure you give yourself ample time as the lines are long and slow and the staff couldn't care less. I have never ventured to King Power to buy anything as the prices are and still 3-4 times more expensive than in the city which is rather peculiar and the latest scams by the Police is scary. So be very careful as they seem to scare tourists off by accusing them of shoplifting and drag you to the 1st ATM machine to deal with the issue. Shops are devoid of any inspiration so the usual perfume, bag, orchid mix. After security the terminal is bare so expect only glass and steel without a single outlet for anything. Arrivals bags are always never quick and 30 minutes are needed minimum. Taxis are still a problem as you are being hunted by "limousines" that are overpriced as well as trying to tell you that there is no city taxi around. City taxis started to set fixed prices that are min double the meter (around 200-250THB to the CBD while they ask for min 400-500THB) and have no trouble changing their minds mid way and leaving you in the middle of nowhere as in my case. BTS train link is 2 years late and once its finished it takes you to the worst part of town (Prathunam) which is gridlock almost 24/7. So I always wonder about 1st time tourists who face one test after another and instead of enjoying the city, they have to endure one situation after another - not that much of a relaxing airport.

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  3 August 2009 by Mike Radcliffe   (USA)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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I have been thru this airport, Suvarnabhumi, many times and things are getting a lot worse. The only good thing is check in, the staff are helpful, and professional, after that things go downhill fast. Immigration leaving is painfully slow, especially in busy periods, but the staff don't seem to care. Then going airside, the duty free is probably the most expensive I have seen, so too are restaurants, except Burger King. A small bottle of Heineken which you can buy in the store for 39 baht will cost you 200 baht at the airport! Now it appears there is a scam in operation by King Power associated with the airport police, which has been detailed on the BBC website. They must be trying to stop tourists altogether. Arriving passengers have a long way to walk. Then greeted by another long line waiting for immigration. unsmiling faces of immigration staff makes you feel right at home. The bags seem to take a long time, and some do go missing, another scam which has been documented by the airport itself. Customs is pretty quick, but then try to get a taxi in the airport, you have no choice, there is only one, AOT, incredibly expensive.

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  16 July 2009 by D McConville   (UK)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Once I got into the airport, slightly hellish. It was too warm, they had AC but it wasn' helping. The gate was right in front of passport control which meant the walk from plane to passport control was only something like 30 seconds. But the amount of people, crowds, huge queues. The line moved at a snail pace, waited almost 40 minutes in line. The bathrooms, dark and crowded, wet and hot. My departure from the airport 8 months prior was nicer. Queue took some time. Inside was clean and nice, AC was fine. I expected more from an Asian Hub that took years and billions of dollars to make.

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  15 July 2009 by D Djamal   (USA)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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I've come in and out of Bangkok Airport numerous times this past two years and start to accept its downsides - cold interior, long walks to the gates, unsmiling immigration people (in the land of the smiles? ) But if you have long transit time, head to Novotel Suvarnabhumi hotel. For TBH800 you can use the gym with nice staff, steam and sauna rooms, and swimming pool, and get away from the airport crowd. Once you're inside the airport, there are places with free wi-fi. It's not difficult to find power outlets. The choice of restaurants are great, food is good, and price is not exorbitant. The spa located one floor underneath the check in area (at the end of the corridor) has reasonable prices compared to Bangkok prices (price in the spa past the immigration is higher). I recommend that if you have long transit time, get away from the transit area if possible and head to town. There are left luggage facilities for TBH100 each luggage. You may not get charged for airport tax if you have already checked in inside. Just make sure you dont need a visa to enter, or ask for visa on arrival.

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  15 July 2009 by John Kent   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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My wife is diabetic and the security people were unbelievably rude to her because she was carrying needles and insulin - she had a doctor's letter and a copy of her prescription to prove her case but that did not matter to the iditios in security. A complaint to the airport has yet to be answered after more than a year. If it were not for the fact that BKK is the gate way for Saigon then we would never use the place again. The other problem is the long walks to the different gates - ridiculous if like us you are over 65. Duty Free shops are expensive.

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  14 July 2009 by Rob Boyce   (UK)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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Agree with previous postings regarding the decor and state of repair, although cannot comment on the immigration facilities as I was only transiting through the airport twice in recent weeks. Long queues for many toilets were apparent. The smoking rooms often seem to have their doors left open as they are small and appear to have poor ventilation. Very long walks between some gates for transit passengers.

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  14 July 2009 by Dan Ashford   (Australia)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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I found the new airport a bit on the sterile side. Not much seating, but once you get called through to your flight, then there is plenty of seating to be had while you wait to be boarded. A couple of times I got lost through the directional signs, but overall its was alright. Staff friendly. The only bad thing is the queue to go through on arrivals. That part of things is no better than the old airport.

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  13 July 2009 by Tejas Kumar   (Australia)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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I agree with many of the recent negative comments on here. I read them before I left for Bangkok and found them to be unfortunately very true. I would have thought after all that planning and money spent they would have built a high standard airport - is that not what we expect these days? The dull grey colour of the terminals are disgusting. Please use some colour. The queues are ridiculous. Even after a couple of years after opening it is getting cramped up. There is an incredibly long walk to the departure gates. Arrivals i found OK with the fast moving escalators. I agree there is a distinct lack of toilets. I asked one of the cleaning ladies and they told me the water was not safe too drink. You would think at a newly built airport this would be the case. The airport is either too hot in parts or too cold in parts. Obviously there is not enough air conditioning - especially at passport control on departures - it was fuming. The one positive is the couple of Buddhist shrines they have at the terminals. Very nice looking but this was overshadowed by the negatives.

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  25 June 2009 by Matt Rennie   (Australia)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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If the designers of BKK intended to create an airport that reflects Bangkok, they have achieved that. The exposed concrete (which is showing many cracks), piping and steel match the look of those 10+ year old unfinished towers of the city. The inevitably slow moving long immigration lines are like the endless Bangkok traffic jams. The distinct lack of toilets is just like the absence of public toilets in Bangkok. You know you have arrived in Bangkok when there are taxi touts waiting alongside you at the luggage reclaim even before exiting the secure area! Will the airport train ever be finished so you can avoid these guys? With so many years and a huge budget to create a great Asian airport hub (like SIN, HGK, KUL & ICN) where did it go all so wrong? On the positive side the Thai and other Asian food available is great (just like in Bangkok). The friendliness of the Thai people is displayed by the airport staff (except the cold, robotic immigration officers).

BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT customer review :  17 June 2009 : by Erich Koller  (Switzerland)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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Arrival was a breeze early in the morning. We were through customs within 10 minutes and bags arrived shortly after. Must add here that obviously our flight was one of the first to arrive in the morning, so cannot give an accurate picture if this is standard now. Quite the opposite was our departure in the late evening. While check-in has significantly improved and is now almost par with KUL, the area after passport-control is more like a big shopping-mall than an airport. Duty free still firmly in the hands of King Power - no change there despite the promises of the government after the opening of the then new BKK airport. Prices are firmly too high and quality sort of questionable. Therefore we avoided and tried out some restaurants that are, despite not being excellent, okay for what one might ask for before departure.