BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT review : 29 April 2008 : by David Monteiro

Customer Rating : 4/5

Landed at 2.30 pm and 45 minutes later I was already in a Taxi to the city. No queue at immigration and got my luggage after only 10 minutes. I guess it depends at what time of the day you arrive but in my case everything went smoothly. Departure on April 20 late at night, long queues at immigration but otherwise everything was fine.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Mohd Farouk

16 April 2008   Customer Rating :

First time in Bangkok. Arrival Immigration was very rude (stopped short of shouting). Not to me but I notice this on the counter next to mine. As usual, haggled by so called "official taxi". Just ignore and go straight to the taxi counter (those ladies wearing bright yellow suits). Depart: Long queue during check in (using no frills airline, so I guess no right to complain). Then immigration. Only few counters are open. I notices that there are so many people in the checkin area, but immigration not proportional, 45 mins in queue. Entering the terminal, I chance upon another nightmare. The security clearance before you can go to the departure gate. I dreaded the experience.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by N Sutherland

15 April 2008   Customer Rating :

Looking back, I commented on BKK about a year ago and gave it 3 Stars, mostly because it was new, it was pretty obvious what was wrong and I genuinely believed they'd fix the problems. A year later and having used it in both Business and Economy about a dozen times I'm taking one of those back. None of the problems with signs, aircon, toilets, poor shopping, crowding or overall design have got better and many have got worse. I think Immigration both incoming and outgoing is unacceptably lengthy at many times of the day and night. The meeting area is better organised now but is about the only significant improvement I could report. There is no way that the BKK experience is close to other airports in the region such as SIN, HKG or KUL. I've no doubt for the people who have to work there Suvarnabhumi is a much better airport than Don Mueang though sadly it isn't any better for the people who have to use it.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Ho Mun Hung

26 March 2008   Customer Rating :

I have used the airport last week twice as a stop over, and would say there is a lot of room for improvement! In general the building looks impressive from the outside but once you are inside it looks grey and uninviting, the signs come in all shape and sizes and are always tucked in a corner or next to a shop which can be misleadng as most travellers might thought it is an advertisement! The duty free shopping lacks competition and choices, they should not have rent out most of the space to King Power! The food and beverage selection is quite good and most are reasonably priced but they are concentrated at the end of the duty free shopping area which means a long walk before you can get a bite - although there is some small cafes and bars along the way. The toilets are ok but are rather small so during peak hours be prepared to wait even for male toilets! The floors may be 1 year plus old but they look like they have weathered a good 10 years and some of them have cracks! The metal seats might look nice but can be very cold - be careful if you are wearing shorts and they are mainly only available after the duty free shopping area and crossing the security! The immigration and security lines can be quite slow so set aside enough time for queuing. Sometimes the baggage belts might be used to off load 2 flights worth of bags at the same time so dont be alarm if you saw another flight's number appearing on your belt! When walking out of the arrival hall be prepared to be "attacked" by illegal taxi drivers asking for your business! Ignore them and go to the official taxi stand and be sure your taxi driver on his/her meter! Lastly the terminal is very long so check in and enter the transit area early if not you might have to run across the terminal!

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by David Heppenstall

25 March 2008   Customer Rating :

I have used the new Bangkok airport 4 times (4 arrivals, 4 departures) and think I have got the hang of it. The dreaded Thai immigration seems to have speeded up when you arrive, but there are long queues of up to an hour at departure. On arrival the shuttle bus to the transportation centre (if you need to take a bus to another part of Thailand rather than Bangkok) is quite difficult to find, and the airport staff are not very good at giving directions to foreigners. Also on arrival you will be hassled by pirate taxi operators (ignore) before you find the official taxi rank. The bus to downtown Bangkok is relatively easy to find and is very good value and is as quick as a taxi. Baggage appears on the belts rather faster than at most airports. In the departure areas there is a good selection of catering offering very good value food, which you will be ready for after the long wait at immigration. After security the seats are very hard and the walkways to the departure gates are bleak. There is a shortage of toilets generally on the airport.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by P Deborah

22 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Nasty. Freezing cold, impersonal (more so than most airports), freezing cold, hard metal seats which is the last thing you want while in-transit. Very few options for food if you need to eat something based on your schedule - duty free overpriced and not too much in the way of variety. The place looks amazing from outside but it is probably one of the worst airports I have ever travelled through in my life. Paper signs on the walls - lots of tired, harried and super-non-smiling staff. An airport to be avoided if you can help it.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by M Channon

22 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Check in for Eva Air was easy, no queue at all. went to the Tax Refund Office before immigration, again straightforward. To exit immigration I was in a queue which took just 10 minutes to get to the front. I had time for a coffee and then went to the gate before which the queue for the X-Ray machine was about 5 minutes. My flight was an early afternoon flight, and although there were many people about, my own experience found the airport user friendly.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by A Swaysland

14 March 2008   Customer Rating :

We experienced an impossible task in trying to transfer from an incoming flight from Saigon on Thai Airways and a switch through International Transfer to a London Heathrow Flight on the 2nd March also with Thai Airways. In theory we had one hour to walk between the flights but because the incoming flight was late that was reduced to around 40 minutes. The distance to walk must have been getting on for a mile and the signs were not helpful - nor was the electric board showing departures. All we could see for a long time were arrivals. Eventually we reached the London flight 10 minutes late after running through countless shopping malls. We are over 60 and not members of the Olympic running team. The walking distances between Flights involved are huge and at least 2 hours needs to be allowed in the worse case scenario. The stucture of the Airport is fine, the practical side of switching flights is a nightmare.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by James Halley

14 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Its getting worse - as if that was possible. I usually try to just connect through Bangkok nowadays but flight timings made it necessary to overnight in BKK in order to catch the first flight to Kuala Lumpur. I arrived well in advance (more than 2 hours) and simply couldn't believe the lines at immigration. Everyone was begging to get to the front of the line to catch their flight - but as one French woman put it - enough is enough. The expanded toilet facilities do seem to be taking an age to complete. And the TG lounge has put back the 'dont flush the used toilet paper sign back'. I thought flying Thai would at least cut down on the walking distances. got that wrong too. Arrived gate E10 (twice) and went out of A6 (twice). Thailand has a new democratically elected government - come on, get a grip of this airport.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by F Endo

12 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport was a disaster. There were few rest rooms. Also there were few spots where benches were fixed. The benches were made of metal, so they were hard and cold. After security check there was neither tax-free shop nor kiosk. I had to wait for 5 hours till boarding time without any drinks. Immigration officers were not friendly. Security officers were sitting on a guest bench and idling their time away.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by O Johansen

12 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Departure and arrival are both nightmares at Bangkok´s new airport Suvannabhumi. If you are unlucky to departure in the morning or at midnight, you must count om waiting between 30 minutes and 1 hour to get through the long line to have your passport stamped and you picture taken. The same when you are arriving in late afternoon. This is a pity, because the new airport was supposed to show the whole world that Thailand is number one! But compared to other new airports in South East Asia they are number five or six!

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Ian Baker

12 March 2008   Customer Rating :

In February-March I was here three times. Check-in is usually very slow. It's miles to walk inside the terminal. Flew Bangkok Air from Phuket; plane did not park at a bridge and we had a slow bus tour of the airport, then baggage took maybe 30 minutes to appear.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by G Haslam

12 March 2008   Customer Rating :

We arrived at 0100 after a 22-hour journey. Because of difficulty walking long distances, I had ordered a wheelchair. The trip from gate to immigration was swift and smooth and the wait at immigration was about three minutes. Baggage claim and currency exchange were efficient and we readily found a car and driver to take us into the city. Overall, a positive impression.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by G Ho

10 March 2008   Customer Rating :

The one-terminal concept leads to grotesquely long walks, even though it looks good from a distance. The departure and greeting areas are too small, giving the airport a cramped feel. The shopping has heavy focus on liqor and cosmetics. Queues for immigration and check-in can be long and slow. Signs are shockingly poor and unattractive throughout the airport. Many signs are actually white A4 sheets printed on office printer and stuck to the walls with tape! This goes for many of the gate number signs.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by J Lea

7 March 2008   Customer Rating :

I have recently passed though this airport three times. The distance walked between international and domestic gates is enormous with more attention being paid to endless identical shopping malls than passenger convenience. For a new airport, standards are barely acceptable.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by A McLernan

7 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Immigration procedure is simply appalling at this new airport. Not an improvement on Don Muang at all, despite promises. Waited 51 minutes at immigration to get out of the country! Like others in the queue nearly missed my flight to Singapore. No doubt having checked in baggage and not turning up for the flight the flight would be delayed while my bags would have to have been unloaded. The major airlines using this airport must lean on the authorities to speed up procedures.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Farouk Mogheth

6 March 2008   Customer Rating :

I do not see any real improvement in the airport - adding a couple of palm trees hasnt really addressed the serious issues around the airport. I can confirm that the immigration and passport control is getting a lot worse. Waiting periods are too long especially in the "bottle neck" periods mainly late at night around 10pm where most flights to Europe and the US leave. Thousands of people cramped in the area for passport control with always an average 6 out of 10 pass controls open. The system is very slow meaning putting the Passport to a machine reading the data (machine readable) however needing to do a multitude of paper work around it making it really at least 5-6 minutes per pax which is crazy thinking about the number of the people waiting. Being grim and unsmiling (by the staff and immigration officials) does not help the situation. Maybe the land of the smiles but not in the arrival and departure halls! If you are transiting elsewhere do chose more comfortable airports like Singapore, Hong Kong or Kuala Lumpur.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Dave Jaros

2 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Used this airport on arrival from ZRH, then on int/dom transit and departure. Despite great outfit only poor facilities inside, not possible to have a shower except of the airline lounge or transit hotel, not possible to buy train tickets for SRT networt (despite the information there is an airport office of state railways), not possible to book accommodation in other than the packed tourist resorts. The only proper information about public bus (minivans) to the MRT (sky train) available on the most remote TAT stands in arrival hall, otherwise no signs with numbers or explanations so many tourists are directly touted into expensive VIP busses. Departure lounges on both domestic and international flights too basic (after security no shops etc.). In domestic lounge no one is ready to make any PA announcements, just pushing hords. I do not wonder that for prices and taxes required many airlines as well as passengers are happy to return to Don Mueang airport. Poor place for high fare.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Jon Poulsen

2 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Nice to look at but that's about all. Used to have an economy class transit lounge with comfortable chairs and sofas but this has been closed down (probably to make way for even more King Power shops). When I asked at the tiny Information desk on the bottom floor, they didn't know why? I asked what you were supposed to do if you weren't travelling Business or First and had no access to the lounges? The reply was a shrug and "who cares?" look. When I asked for a complaint form they searched for 5 minutes but couldn't find one, another shrug of the shoulders.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Ch Kraisorn

2 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Have mixed feelings with this new airport. Went to passport control 1.5 hours before departure, and arrived at gate only 15 minutes before departure due long lines at passport control and security checks and due long distance to gate. Airport building too grey and dark, signs difficult to find as they are also grey.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Ch Kraisorn

28 February 2008   Customer Rating :

I would conclude that the airport is an average hub airport, but with an immense potential to become a better one. Two things which reduce the airport to a three-star-airport in my opinion are regarding to the security concept of the airport and information and signs to control passenger flow. Dramatically increasing of passenger number led to a very long queue at immigration both inbound and outbound. Outside the passenger area, there are a lot of restaurants on one floor and a big Thai-style food stall on the ground floor. Outside the building, two beautiful parks were constructed. For those who will arrive there for the first time, I would suggest to study the airport map prior to arrival in advance urgently.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Greg Binford

21 February 2008   Customer Rating :

I travelled to and from this airport in Jan/Feb on Thai Airways New York Express. Except for the long wait at immigration upon arrival, I found the airport to be quite nice.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Streb Lovell

19 February 2008   Customer Rating :

For what is supposed to be Thailand's newest and greatest airport, this is a disappointment. Not that bad, but not that great either. Upon arrival, monotonous straight walks down steel and concrete cylinders are broken up by the sight of duty free liquor stands. On departure, at least they have stores selling prescription-strength painkillers before you have to have to stand in long lines at immigration or become trapped in the dull gate area. How could such a charming country build such an uncharming airport?

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Derek Adams

17 February 2008   Customer Rating :

Just about everything that can be wrong is wrong! Horrendous Immigration lines (inbound and outbound) - average times over 40 minutes while Thai Passport desks are manned but devoid of passengers after 5/6 minutes. What should have been Thailand's showpiece has turned into a laughing stock with corruption and touts everywhere. I have used this airport 10/12 times in the past year and I still see no sign or hope of improvement.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by M Levin

12 February 2008   Customer Rating :

Nicer than the old airport but be ready to walk. After passport control the walk to the gate can be quite lenghty with no trams/trains/moving sidewalks. The only place to sit in that area are at the cafes. There are places to sit on the lower level in the gate area but that is past security and the gate only opens 1.5 hours before flight time. If you check-in 3 hours before departure that can be a long time on your feet.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by James Halley

21 January 2008   Customer Rating :

As an ardent critic of this airport, credit where credit is due and it might be that someone does indeed read our combined comments, they are installing more toilets. All the facilities between your domestic arrivals concourse (usually A) and the baggage claim area are being renovated at the same time. I also discovered that if you fly into BKK on Malaysia Airlines you cannot clear immigration in the domestic transit area as TG has no agreement with MH to allow this and will not issue you with your domestic boarding pass. Why not when the flight I came off was a codeshare with TG and had a four digit flight number. So having had the hike of getting from concourse F to A, I was then sent back halfway to clear immigration in BKK and check in with TG upstairs landside. It just doesnt get any easier here. I've enjoyed the comments from others about distances, signage and toilets. The next disaster waiting to happen is the re-opening to limited international traffic of Don Muang airport (watch that space). I hope the airlines will continue to fight this

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Steve Sherratt

15 January 2008   Customer Rating :

I passed through 3 times in Oct/Nov/Dec. The first time they confiscated 2 bottles of gin bought at LHR, we were en-route to TPE. Arrival from AKL late at night was reasonably quick as the Airport was quiet. A day arrival from Siem Reap took 45 minutes just to get through immigration control. A word of advice for Bangkok Airways passengers, not all of them realise that they are entitled to use the Bangkok Airways Boutique Lounges. These provide soft seats, internet access, TV, Newspapers, snacks, soft drinks and self serve hot drinks. All inc in a cheap economy ticket. Very worthwhile looking for, since the gate waiting areas (as mentioned elsewhere) are very spartan, Don Muang was better in this respect. You have to be a little persistent to find the official cab rank, its a lash up arrangement at the kerb side.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by A Andersson

10 January 2008   Customer Rating :

An airport to be avoided. The duty-free prices are very high as the restaurants. Furthermore there are very few places to sit when you have to take the endless walks trying to find your flight. Can not understand why they built such a gigantic dull airport without looking at other big friendly airports.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Gary Marsh

9 January 2008   Customer Rating :

A pleasant airport but is it big - be prepared for some serious walking just what you need after a long haul flight. Long tedious treks from one gate to another. Long walk from gate to immigration long queues at immigration but they worked fast and efficiently. Airport facilities are good. Airport lounges comfortable but basic.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by E Low

27 December 2007   Customer Rating :

I totally agree with Eric Blair. It took me almost 45 minutes to find my connecting flight at the other end of the airport of international hall or something like that. Tried asking someone in the airport but wasn't useful at all. Got the wrong directions.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Alvin Lo

27 December 2007   Customer Rating :

Very spacious airport and lots of shops, however the interior of this airport looked as if it's not complete particularly the ceiling. Pipelines (at least I thought they were) are quite a prominent feature decorating the ceiling of this airport. Are they still renovating / completing the terminal? If you were late for your flight and your gate was the last one at the end of the terminal, you really have to RUN for it!! There is no travelator!! And trust me it's not an easy run, you have go against jam packed human traffic.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Eric Blair

23 December 2007   Customer Rating :

BKK is a nightmare. It took us nearly 30 minutes, with two children, to walk from one gate to another, thanks to the extensive shopping mall that dominates the terminal. As mentioned elsewhere, signage is, at best, non-existent and at worst, misleading. Airport staff are a combination of dazed, confused and apathetic. There were no security lines leading into the section of the terminal where our gate was located, only a mob of about 500 people inching slowly toward the detection equipment. Complete and utter chaos. During a previous connection, bottled water I purchased in the airport shop was confiscated at the gate. So recently, when I purchased a bottle to consume in the airport, I was asked if I intended to carry it on the plane. I asked if that was permitted now, as I was flying to New York. The clerk said it was permitted and asked for my passport and boarding pass, entered my information into the cash register, and gave me a receipt with my name and flight details. Sure enough, when I arrived at the gate, it was promptly taken away.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by S Milway

23 December 2007   Customer Rating :

Very clean and spacious but virtually no seating which is bad. We had a 6 hour wait but discovered a wonderful lounge run by King Power - the duty free folks. Free provided you have a residence in Thailand - fantastic.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport review by Barry Byrne

7 December 2007   Customer Rating :

Three recent visits and the signage is still very weak. Why do they not post useful signs as to flight connections at the spot where bus transfers unload? You can easily walk the wrong way following "international connections" to find hundreds of meters later finding a very small sign saying that your particular connection is back in the very opposite direction, because airline usual departure piers are not indicated. The departure board signs roll over too quickly, they are hard to read as they switch languages before you can read any page fully. Shopping and food facilities airside are weak and crowded and far too centralised at the intersections. The very limited space inside the airport entry doors is a real problem - if you are dropped at the wrong door it is hard to make progress inside the building to get to the right check in area also. Not really impressed by the Thai business class lounge either, large though it may be. I certainly would not recommend using any connection to Skyteam here, the number of flights by them is relatively small and if you do not get a boarding pass at your initial check in point, often an impossibility with Asian connections, you will find no staff at the Skyteam transit desks at all until about two hours before your flight leaves. Tough luck if you have a long stopover forced upon you. Far better off with Oneworld, at least you can get your boarding pass sorted out and use your time as you see fit as they seem to have manned desks. For a new airport you would expect a lot more.

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.

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