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Phuket International Airport Passenger Reviews and Traveller Reports
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PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT customer review : 3 April 2013 by Scott Inglis (UK) |
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Rating : 0/10 |  |
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Recommended |  |
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A dreadfully poor airport not fit for purpose. Agree with a previous comment, tear it down and start again or
build a new one! The terminal is grubby and very limited in it's basic facilities. Small and overcrowded, this
airport does not create a good first impression of Phuket and when it comes to departures the queues start
before you can even enter the terminal building.
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PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT customer review : 13 February 2012 by Brian Smith (Japan) |
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Rating : 1/10 |  |
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Recommended | |
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A dreadful airport! The check-in area swamped with people and chaotic. It's a very dirty, small and extremely
overused airport. There are international flights and many domestic flights going in and out of this small
terminal and somehow it works. I suppose the Thai Airways lounge was just fine, but the economy class area
was similar to a bus station. I've used this airport before, around 5 years ago, and little has changed. They
need to tear it down and start again, or at least segregate domestic and international flights and
passengers, and add space.
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PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT customer review : 27 January 2012 by Glenn Barnes (Hong Kong) |
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Rating : 7/10 |  |
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Recommended |  |
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On arrival, long lines for immigration, in fairness it was Chinese New Year holidays so lots of extra
passengers to deal with but still only 60% of the immigration booths occupied. Once through immigration its
quick to exit as your bags are already available, a bit of congestion caused by all the various taxi touts so
finding your pre-booked transport takes a keen eye. On departure you have to put your bags through x-ray on
entering the terminal. There are two so go for the furthest one as its less busy. Check-in as one may expect
for a busy holiday airport, busy but well organised. After security there are a variety of shops, not to many
dining options but good enough for an average wait. Duty free is very expensive though and seemed mostly
to be Russian tourists who were buying - not many others.
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PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT customer review : 5 January 2012 by N Werner (Switzerland) |
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Rating : 5/10 |  |
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Recommended | |
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Arrived at 12pm and so did 3 other planes from Russia. This meant immigration lanes were very long and it
took over an hour to clear immigration. Airport is very old and it clearly was not built for the 8 million
passengers which pass through there. Luggage was already waiting and we where whisked off in our hotel
car. Departure there is a long line to enter as you have to get your bags checked at the beginning before
going to check-in. Check-in was efficient and security relaxed. There is not really much when you arrive in the
departure area. Flight left on time and TG has the most convenient gates at the airport.
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PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 20 June 2011 by Yusuf Kader (South Africa)
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |
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| Cleanliness |
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I used this airport in Apr 2011, it was being revamped and immigration was fast,
we also got free starter packs with free airtime at the airport, once activated
we could make calls to tell friends we were safe, for the airport size it was
great using it.
PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 28 March 2011 by R Kuwertz (USA)
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |
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| Queuing |
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| Facilities |
Being a parent and traveller, I am all for safety and security in airports. However, it was
taken to the extreme when going through the last security check near my gate in Phuket
airport. Despite the fact that I had a 1 and 3 year old in tow, security confiscated my baby
forks! Then, we are all served with actual adult silverware on the airplane, including forks!
Where is the common sense? Okay, maybe it doesn't cost that much, but the principle of the
matter should be addressed.
PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :
12 April 2010 : by B Johnson
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
This airport is extremely basic. I have been here a number of times over the years and it has
not improved at all. The food facilities are terrible and the shops are no better. The only
reason you would spend time here is in the mandatory check-in before departure. I was
unfortunate to experience a delayed flight when I arrived at the airport and we caught a taxi
back over to the JW Marriott which is quite close (confirm flight departure before leaving
your hotel) and enjoyed some nice drinks and they had some entertainment as well. Amazing they
don't have better facilities given the number of people that use this airport.
PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :
3 April 2010 : by Jean Louis Vergaert
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Customer Rating : 3/5 | |
Definitively a bad airport, not living up to the expectations and requirements of the millions
of tourists coming to this tourist trap. But there is a little secret for the flights OUT of
the country which will make you a VIP: the Priority Pass Club Lounge. If you are not member,
you will fork out about THB 800, but totally worth it. You register BEFORE the customs, and
they whisk you through the queues, you even sit down at a separate desk for the departure
formalities, then the same charming hostess brings you to a very beautiful lounge with
internet access, decent food and all drinks you need. Then, have a look at the crowds fighting
for a seat.
PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :
27 July 2009 : by J Young
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |  |
Airport feels and looks old and tired. Not all of the shops were open, food options near the
Gates 9-10 were very limited and the VAT refund office was closed (at 2pm on a Saturday!) Bags
screened as you went inside the airport doors which meant you had to line up outside in the
heat. Check in was smooth and immigration departure was smooth. Plenty of seats available but
there werent too many departing flights either. It needs a bit of redevelopment to bring it up
to scratch.
PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 31
December 2008 : by M Le Roux
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Customer Rating : 3/5 | |
This is a tiny place, it feels like being somewhere in the countryside. It's almost unbelievable
that this place serves so many foreign passengers. The big advantage is of course that you don't
have to walk very far, check-in and boarding gates are close to each other. The downside is that
there is absolutely nothing to do here if you have a spare hour. There are 2 or 3 small souvenir
shops and about as many places to eat. The decor is non-existent and looks a bit old, not the
fanciest place you'll ever see. But they are efficient and things happened quickly because we had an
early flight and it wasn't too busy. Just don't plan on wasting a few hours here, or to eat here for
that matter.
PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 30 November 2008 : by J Williams
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |  |
Phuket International Airport is to means like Singapore however I had no problems and I am just
relieved they have an International Airport! At the end of the day its only an airport and you only
spend a couple of hours there. I didn't get a chance to sit down as by the time we had something to
eat and last minute souvenir shopping it was time to board the aircraft.
PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 30 April 2008 : by D Keam
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Customer Rating : 2/5 | |
Phuket "International" Airport is not really of international standard! Small, woefully short of
seating and quite frankly, the departure area is very grotty and could do with a really, really good
clean. I refused to use the toilets as the stench carried out into the surrounding area. The staff
there were however very polite and did their jobs well (as do most Thai people). Surely it must be
making plenty of money considering how popular the area is? Why isn't the management authority
spending a bit of money to at least keep it clean? Phuket is a beautiful area and the airport does
not reflect that.
Phuket International Airport by H Leong
6 April 2008 Customer Rating : 
Pretty much average all round. Been to Phuket many times, and there have been negligible
improvements made to the airport throughout the years. The terminal is usually very crowded and can
feel cramped, and long lines at the check-in desks and customs are common; it is the second busiest
airport in Thailand. There is a huge lack of seating around the departure lounge; I have almost
never sat down waiting for a flight. Signs are okay, apart from some confusing ones; there was one
where the sign indicating the location of a single gate had 2 arrows pointing in opposite
directions. Staff are quite friendly, but all the procedures at the airport are inefficient, but at
least the security checks at the entrance are nowhere near as long as some I have encountered
elsewhere. Dining and shopping options seem decent, but again nothing special, as with the
environment of the airport - rather dim, but fairly clean. Phuket Int'l Airport isn't horrible, but
pretty much average in every respect. I hope that renovations are imminent, as a beach resort town
as famous and popularly-visited as Phuket deserves an airport that is better than merely average.
Phuket International Airport by Ian Baker
12 March 2008 Customer Rating : 
At end of February flew Bangkok Air into Phuket; taxi took maybe 30 minutes to pass through the toll
gate to get out of airport. Too many cars, not enough gates. Need fast electronic system for regular
users - taxis, buses etc. Later flew out to go to Bangkok . Very slow to get into airport via
baggage screening, facility woefully inadequate for the number of passengers. Slow check-in too.
Hard to find seat in departure lounge. Whole airport needs upgrade.
Phuket International Airport by Thomas Parker
25 February 2008 Customer Rating :
Departing on Thai domestic to Bangkok. Plane delayed 2 hours due to congestion at Immigration.
Phuket immigration cannot cope at busy times especially when everyone tries to clear immigration at
Phuket instead of Bangkok. I went down the domestic route as I thought I had 3 hours to clear
immigration in Bangkok. Big mistake! I made it by the skin of my teeth onto my connection to Dubai
but I know that many others didn't make their connections. Should Thai have held up a domestic
flight because people were delayed clearing Immigration?? Be warned it could happen to you.
Phuket International Airport by Jacob Pfleger
28 April 2007 Customer Rating :
It was very interesting to note on a recent trip from Phuket that they
do have the security at the front door for check-in. But some incredibly
intelligent person who planned airport security obviously forgot about
the staircase going from departures down to arrivals and that there is
no screening point at the arrivals exit. So some potential "trouble
maker" to say the least could easily smuggle a "weapon" or worse up to
departures through the arrivals exit and then up the staircase into
departures where the staircase is located past the initial security
point. Very stupid planning.
Phuket International Airport by Steve Koenig
15 November 2006 Customer Rating : n/a
In the arrival area there are several different commercial hotel
"services." We ended up at the Thai hotel association desk. Although
we wanted to go to Karmala Beach, we had no reservations, and not a real
good idea of where to stay. The association said they had few hotels at
Karmala and, even though we said we wanted to avoid Patong, pushed a
hotel they said was in a quiet area just north of Patong. Brochure
looked nice. When we arrived by taxi, it turned out to be nothing like
in the brochure photos. We went to a hotel we found in a the Rough
Guide. Phoned the hotel association, which promised we could get our
1000 Baht deposit back when we returned to the airport for our departing
flight. And they were true to their word. All of the services do, of
course, push hotels from which they get fees. Caveat emptor.
Phuket International Airport by Neil Ramsay
19 October 2006
Arrived from Singapore with MI. Lines at immigration were minimal.
Baggage was on the belt when we eventually arrived. Minimal interest
from customs. Departure was just as easy but suggest a 2 hour minimum
pre boarding arrival. Baggage security check at the door and plenty of
check in desks. 500BHT international departure tax, then immigration
which was painless if not disinterested. Then a personal security check
which is very thorough. Watched with interest as a passenger got
"caught" with a sharp object. You would think people would have learned
by now. Anyway the staff was firm and polite and despite protestations
the errant passenger was sent back to the check in to have his "object"
put in the hold. Plenty of duty free shopping and places to eat.
Extremely clean toilets. Minimal room in departure lounges although you
are only there a few seconds as they call you for your flight from the
main lounge. A nice airport
Phuket International Airport by Hugues Martel
26 March 2005
Phuket has a nice and well-equipped airport. The airport is clean. People are friendly. Food and
drinks are available at very reasonable prices. Custom officers are very efficient. As the airport
is quite small, walking distance from the check-in desks to the gates is very short. However the
airport must get very crowded during the holidays season.
Phuket
Int'l Airport by Barry Hackett
15
April 2004
Phuket airport is the epitomy of confusion. To catch a flight to Koh Samui, we had to queue outside
the front door of the terminal onto the concourse to go through security checks. Poor signage meant
we lined up for the wrong airline. It also seems odd that when you use the men's toilet, the door is
open so you are in full view of every one in the arrivals hall.
But with all its faults it is still a great place and the people are friendly, the food and drinks
are good and reasonably priced and I would love to be passing through immigration right now for a
couple of weeks stay in paradise.
Phuket
Int'l Airport by Bryan Chao
8
October 2003
Phuket airport is a small airport with big plane arrivals. Arriving passengers and departing
passengers could collide if there were no traffic control by gate agents since the departing
passenger have to cross the hallway where the arriving are rushing to the baggage claims. It is
certainly not a good layout.
Phuket
Int'l Airport by Alan K Fong
2
October 2003
Airport is old and quite small with very little gates. The customs and immigration lines were
horrendous. There were only four to five officers working at the counter - and when you get a
jumbo jet with around 350-400 pax arriving be prepared for at least an hour to an hour and a half in
line to get past customs. Once past customs, we picked up our luggage which had already been pulled
off the belt because another flight was arriving! After that, we proceeded our way towards the
money exchange bureau. There we encountered another long long line up of pax exchanging for baht
currency (apparently the airport exchange bureau offers better rates compared to the local hotels).
The line up was ok, but the problem was when it was our turn to get the exchange, the lady who
worked there said she ran out of baht because of too many people exchanging!! This
definietly was not
a good way to start a holiday trip!
The taxis outside the airport were mostly operated by private individuals with vans who gathered a
group of people together and strapped their luggage on the top of the vans! Was a messy situation when
you get around 500 ppl outside the taxi stand scrambling for a ride to their
respective hotels!
On our departure, we went upstairs to check-in and the counter agents were quite efficient. Like
the airport in Bahrain (BAH) we had to check-in and then go to a separate counter to pay for the
airport tax! The customs this time was a brisk and we were waiting at the boarding gate within 10
minutes of checking-in. There were no airport lounges in sight so nothing much to do.. The plane
arrived an hour late so we walked around the duty free shops and did some last minute shopping. The
toilets were clean and the shops consisted of some good bookstores and souvenirs and the Thai
people were always friendly. If you plan to pass thru HKT be sure to get off the plane quick and line up
first at the immigration otherwise, you're in for a nasty wait!
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