Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

On arrival longish walk to immigration there is a snake line then you are directed to another line for a passport desk there were many desks but only 4 or 5 open for non Thai. It felt that looking at the arrivals board later that 4 long haul planes arrives almost same time causing some delays but I have had worse waits. It felt that the bags arrived a container at a time so you had a lot of bags appear then a big gap and more appear then a gap with everyone looking at the same bags going round and so on. For departure arrived a bit early for check in already a long line then one person came and started checking people in after 20 mins or so more people drifted in. Security was a breeze to get through passport control however was a repeat in coming in 4 open desks 4 lines pick a line and hope. The duty free shops are very expensive for the gifts I looked at and was glad I got what looked like the same key ring for 70% less in a shopping center. The airport is very modern and clean if they could sort out passport control and the shop prices it could be a top 10 airport.

Very poor passenger flow. Signs to TG and other airline lounges very poorly located. Signs are placed where passengers are not likely to see them. Staff give misleading directions. One "helpful" guy took me across from Concourse C to EFG although I wanted to go to the lounge in Concourse C. Worse still he abandoned me at EFG area. The Royal Thai Silk Spa and the airport trains were great but cannot compensate for poor basics.

Dreadful queues. My wife went for an extra good-bye to our grand-daughters and oh-so-nearly missed the flight. As they live in Bangkok we have no choice about the airport we use otherwise we would avoid it. Not much hint here of the so-called land of smiles.

Immigration is much better than my last visit 3 years ago - a breeze on arrival but 20 minutes on departure with a poor hall design leading to crowding and pushing. As before the worst issue is the heavy use of buses instead of airbridges - 17 of my last 20 flights have used buses despite all being on Thai Air widebodies. This really affects its suitability as a transit or business hub and I prefer to avoid it now. Others aren't avoiding it - the terminals were packed and shop service has gone drastically downhill.

Me and my husband were shocked by the queuing time! Having arrived at the airport 2.5 hours before the flight (Bangkok-Kiev UIA flight PS 272 16/2/15) we caught our plane at the last minute! Only because we neglected all good manners and elbowed through the crowd of angry passengers at the passport control counter. The queues were horrible! First at the check-in then at the customs control and finally at the passport control. At the latter there were hundreds of people in a complete mess in a narrow corridor with only 3 counters open (out of 10+). The problem was that they gathered together all the international flights! We are frequent travelers but we have never seen such a mess before. We stood in a passport control line for an hour. I wonder how many passengers missed their flights that day.

For a time after some of the low cost carriers were moved to Don Mueang airport the queuing times at BKK's Immigration were reduced to reasonable levels. At certain times of the day however they have now become horrendous again. Arriving on a Qatar A380 around lunchtime it took fully 1 hour 40 minutes to get through the Immigration and Customs lines. This is disgraceful. I fully accept that it does not help when two A380s two 777s and two A330s are scheduled to arrive at the West Immigration Hall in the space of less than 30 minutes. That would tax many airports. The real problem is the fact that even in the knowledge that so many passengers arrive at this time not all the desks were manned. Worse the staff who are supposed to help with the snake queuing system only make it worse when they close one or more and usher passengers into other longer queues. This resulted in several near fights. Automatic gates for Thai citizens was supposed to stop this nonsense. It hasn't!

Wheelchair Assistance. The last 18 months this service ahs changed for departure customers you do not get the chance to buy items in duty free anymore you get 30 mins at a Cafe then wheeled to a Gate with Toilets and no place to buy a drink for 2.5 hours before being collected 5 mins before boarding you are treated like luggage. Myself wife and friends have travelled to Thailand twice or three times a year for 20 years and only in the past 3 years needing wheelchair help this is now the last time we get this treatment and you no longer get purchases in duty free (due to staff) we travel to other wheelchair friendly countries.

This is my sixth journey through Survarnabhumi this year and I have been through every corner of the airport. Like many other reviewers I find it a most annoying inconvenient and expensive experience. The "Duty Free" shops are very expensive and have obviously swallowed any duty with their greedy pricing: avoid them and buy elsewhere. The airport can be hot and stuffy in certain areas where aircon is inadequate. Airside food outlets are two to three times more expensive than the city e.g. 9baht soda water was 65baht. Better go to family mart outside immigration area where prices are normal. Also note that many flights require a bus ride across the tarmac because of inadequate terminal facilities. Immigration officers are expressionless. Forget taxis. Spend the extra money and book an airport limousine near the luggage carousel. You pay one fee - no rip offs extra cash for tolls and all that other nonsense you get with the (grossly underpaid) taxi drivers. I see little to no improvement since 2006 and recommend Singapore as a transit point to other Thai cities. Unless you need to go to this airport avoid it.

Ridiculous 1.2 km walk from Domestic-Arrivals gate to the transfer-desks and International-Departures gate no moving-walkways to help the elderly one has a choice of the endless walk past the duty-free shops and fast-food joints or level-3 with it's view of walkways running both ways but which you cannot access! Internet-access always seems to be unobtainable in reality. The early-days shortage of washrooms has now been addressed. The artwork is quite nice.

Hot Illogical Hot Illogical a lot of walking in circles - from the ground floor you go through a maze of escalators (not interconnecting). Somehow you make it to departures! Did I mention it was hot and then I need to make a comment for the long queues a lot of standing and a lot of waiting. It used to be good when you could clear immigration through different sectors but now are herded like cows through a central gate you are letting yourselves down Thailand! I love Thailand but so disappointing to have this last impression.