Bangkok Don Muang Airport

A 350 baht taxi ride from Suvarnabhumi but found the free shuttle bus for the return trip. Check in immigration etc was well organised. Airside was clean and fresh. Plenty of seating and not too many shops. Nice airport.

I use Don Muang whenever possible although Thai keeps playing with their timetable. The central air terminal at lat phrao station is a real plus as nobody uses it! A sign in the subway telling you which exit to take would be useful! The downside is the baggage check on the Bangkok subway. They insist on opening your suitcase but never actually rummage around inside. Check-in at the terminal is swift and Thai staff take care of the bags once you arrive at Don Muang as its already tagged and security sealed on check-in at the terminal. You can now eat airside. Burger king has returned to the departure area. Its either that or get a gold card and use THAI business lounge. If Bangkok is your destination then Don Muang is streaks ahead of the new airport

The best thing of the reopened domestic airport Don Mueang (DMK) is the vicinity to the city of Bangkok. An improved service was provided by THAI at its City Air Terminal at the Metro Station “Lad Phrao” with check-in facility including free shuttle bus to and from the airport. Besides these nothing was changed! It remains an old small nice domestic terminal. Arrive there check-in go through security check wait just a few minutes at the gate and then take off! On the way back after docking at the gate walk down to the luggage area always only after few minutes you will have your luggage and then ready for Bangkok. Frankly regarding to the departure and arrival procedures the airport fulfils its function hence a five-star-airport.

Used Don Muang twice since its reopening for domestic routes. Couldn't detect any signs of change or improvement over recent years. It's basically just the old domestic terminal with the same ensemble of 2-3 food outlets and a souvenir shop it always had. Check in procedure as usual with the good old x-ray machine for the bigger luggage in front of the check-in area. After security check there's nothing but rows and rows of chairs and a toilet. Transfer from Suvarnabumi is chaotic and can take hours depending on time of day and traffic situation. All in all a place that should have better remained closed once and for all.

Flew from Don Muang to Phuket in mid April very uninviting and old airport if they are going to be using this airport for long term domestic operations then it needs a facelift. Also note there are absolutely no shops whatsoever after the security check just the gates and toilets.

One of the best kept secrets about BKK Don Muang is the inexpensive food court at the far end of Terminal 2. Start one level up from the lowest arrivals level. Go as far as you can to the southern end of Terminal 2 in the general direction of the Domestic Terminal. Walk past the bookstore on the right and around the 7-11. At the start of the long elevated "tube" that leads to the Domestic Terminal you'll see it on the right. It's clearly signed. If you find yourself looking at parked cars instead of the "tube" you are in the right spot but on the wrong level. The place is used mostly by Thai airport workers plus a few savvy travelers. It serves a wide range of Thai food so some (though not all) of the food is spice. It uses a coupon system in increments of 5 baht. Buy coupons before you choose your food drink etc. You can eat very well for 30-35 baht. And it really is delicious. A wonderful place if you just arrived and you need a meal before heading for town or if you are catching a no-frills flight that doesn't serve food. I hope they are planning something similar at the new airport.

I agree with Derek Moore regarding the Taxi situtation on the departure level. Me as a fluent Thai speaker and resident who flies into BKK every week I do take the Taxi's on the upper level but must make it clear to them where I want to go and make sure they operate the meter correctly (I know the fare home so they cannot play tricks on me). However I would strongly discourage people who do not know BKK and who do not speak Thai to take a cab there especially not at night and its needless to say that women should avoid this at all costs. As a matter of fact most crimes against foreigners in Thailand are committed during the Taxi rides to and from the airport.

Reading some of these reviews on Bangkok airport I would like to say that the Taxi booth at arrivals is spot on all very safe and cheap too pay your Baht 300 in my case and thats it. Bad points very few lifts in T1 T2 and when you do find one watch the doors they stay open for about 3 seconds before trying to crush you which you may then find yourself going up and down floors without even getting out. No need to shop around in all the different duty free stores as the airport operates a one price system and other than cigarettes and sprits prices are more expensive than UK duty free. If you fancy a spot out of the way drinks food etc try the little bar upstairs near Burger king they have a outside area too nice at 6am a bit warm at 3pm just be careful about leaving un-checked baggage outside as its not visible.

People recently recommending that it pays to go to departures to pick up a taxi are missing the point. The 'official' taxi desks outside T's 1 & 2 incur a surcharge of thb50 which is less than £1 sterling just over $1 US. The fare downtown on the meter will then be less than a further thb200 or so. Work it out ! Compare that with LHR CDG JFK or the like ! The desk staff record the taxi number and destination so this acts as a security check and deterrent for the driver to not try any tricks. The drivers dropping off upstairs are unregulated and are more likely to refuse to operate the meter and/or to try any of the well known scams some of these guys get up to. Every year people are robbed or worse by airport taxi drivers and whilst I do not imagine that any statistics exist to prove my point my bet is that it will be the unregulated ones who are doing the majority of the offending. The departures option is probably okay for regulars who know where they are going and who can speak a little of the language or for two or more men travelling together but I would not recommend inexperienced visitors especially singles - and certainly not single women - to go this route.

I've also used Don Muang airport several times. Although it's not as pleasant as some other newly opened international airports around the world but I found it fairly convenient. For the airport tax I think most people misunderstand the way it works. If my understanding is correct the Bkk airport tax is not included in the ticket price as other airports do. Which means if you make a connection flight within the airport and don't pass through the immigration you are not paying airport tax at all. Therefore most people feel like they have to pay as much as THB500 upon passing the departure immigration check. I suggest you all ask for the breakdown of taxes upon the purchase of your air ticket instead of getting frustrated with this kind of arrangement. I'm sure that many other airports also work this way.