Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Not Verified | From the time we checked in to clearing immigration took 2.5 hours. Queues were chaotic, people were jumping queues with no control, only half of immigration counters were open.

Not Verified | Suvarnabhumi airport is a big mess. It’s super crowded, lines move slow, no airport staff is around to answer any questions or to assist, and the whole place is poorly managed. All staff in general were moving at a snail’s pace, which was the main cause behind many of the issues the airport. Our check-in counter opened 40 minutes late because one of the counter staff was taking her time and arrived late, and that staff was in no rush when she arrived, never mind being apologetic for being late. The staff working at the duty free shops were not enthused about helping customers. We were rudely told not to approach our boarding gate with no explanation. When we were finally allowed to approach the gate (this was after all the security check processes and we were waiting to board the plane), the airport staff asked to check everyone’s bags, again! This was absolutely ridiculous and absurd. The efficiency of the whole airport would be greatly increased if the staff could be more professional and swift. The airport is severely under staffed, they need to hire a lot more people to handle the amount of customers that they are serving everyday. Better training for the airport staff is also desperately needed. It’s a shame that our pleasant Thailand experience was ruined by such an unpleasant experience at the airport leaving the country.

✅ Trip Verified | Be aware for security . There was no line and security went well until the inspector noticed my nice power bank. The 5000 mAh device is fully compliant, especially made for travelers and passed security over 100 times worldwide, including multiple times at BKK. Likely due to the light workload, the agent started showing interest in my property and 'confiscated' my legal authorized and 100% safe device. I surrendered my property since no discussion was possible.

✅ Trip Verified | It is clean, modern and spacious. Employees are friendly and helpful. Both security and border checks are efficient. The flow is smooth. Signposts are clear.

Not Verified |   Hands down one of the worst airports in Southeast Asia. Long lines for everything, poor communications to passengers, insufficient resources such as bathrooms, F&B, ABTC lines at departure. Terribly inefficient place.

✅ Trip Verified | Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport presents a tale of contrasts, with its impressive terminal for last-minute shopping standing in stark juxtaposition to the frustratingly slow immigration queues. Suvarnabhumi's shopping options are nothing short of spectacular. The airport offers a diverse range of stores, from high-end boutiques to local treasures. The expansive duty-free area is a shopper's paradise, with an extensive selection of products, making it an ideal place for last-minute souvenir hunting or indulging in luxury purchases. The terminal's architecture is both modern and aesthetically pleasing, creating a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere. The design incorporates cultural elements, adding a touch of Thai elegance to the overall ambiance. The plethora of dining options, lounges, and recreational areas contribute to a positive pre-flight experience. Unfortunately, the luster of Suvarnabhumi is dimmed by the consistently slow immigration processing times. Long queues, coupled with what appears to be an understaffed immigration system, can turn what should be a seamless process into a time-consuming and frustrating affair. This aspect significantly impacts the overall airport experience, particularly for travelers with tight connections. While the shopping experience is enhanced by friendly and helpful staff, the same cannot be said for the immigration counters. The personnel, though professional, often seem overwhelmed, contributing to a lack of efficiency in processing passengers promptly. In conclusion, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport provides a unique juxtaposition of outstanding shopping experiences against the backdrop of slow immigration queues. Travelers should be prepared for potentially lengthy waits at immigration but can take solace in the world-class shopping opportunities the airport offers. Suvarnabhumi remains a destination where, with the right expectations, one can navigate the contrasts and make the most of their time at this bustling international hub. I love this airport!

✅ Trip Verified | Already a very large airport with long walking distances, I see they are opening a further satellite wing shortly with even greater distances. Despite not being that old an airport, the facilities are awful toilets shabby and poor maintenance. There is a real shortage of seat power throughout the airport, and they have installed a few communal stands where you often see 10-20 customers trying to plug in chargers. Nowhere very comfortable to sit, and the design of the building makes it feel sterile and like a railway station. To be avoided if you can.

✅ Trip Verified | The airport has failed to update its check-in row, showing Emirates under "U", instead of "S". Early check in (3 hours prior to flight departure is recommended), but check in counters were unmanned, but maybe that says more about the airline, than the airport. Security clearance was not as dire as I had read about, taking about 30 minutes, but using antiquated practices, (removal of belts and shoes), despite the full body scanner capsules, followed by a wand scan. But then it's down the escalator to the Immigration hall. 2 queues have to form for this, one forking left, one forking right. This queue takes 40 minutes, to be seen by the Immigration officer, scanning both hands' fingers, and both hands' thumbs, plus a facial photo. Thereafter, the worn out airport, almost stuck together by Elastoplast, with particular emphasis on disgustingly maintained lavatories, and populated by third rate expensive restaurants, (USD20 for 2 coffees and 2 croissants), and shops. The government policy is to attract more tourists, but without providing the facilities to make that an attractive experience, for both visitors and non-Thai residents alike. The airport is 17 years old, but unlike other similarly aged airports, maintenance, refurbishment and high quality cleaning seems to be sorely lacking.

✅ Trip Verified | A delayed late arrival flight, at midnight is met by a long snaking queue at Immigration, with a protracted protocol of finger and facial photos. The government seem well aware of the problem, but despite wanting more tourists, unwilling to provide the resources to improve the situation. AOT must surely have the knowledge of the flight arrival schedules, but do not man the Immigration kiosks to accommodate the incoming capacity. It is not exactly the warm happy welcome falsely advertised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, (TAT).

✅ Trip Verified | It's extremely confusing set up - domestic and international flights not clearly guided on board for check in. They were far apart that consumed great amount of time for just trying to get to another counter. Operators staff were poorly trained without ability to handle passengers enquiry. Despite of so, throwing tantrums and even personally imposed additional restrictions to the travellers in order to check in baggages so can board plane where additional cost were already charged. Their operators held us up at the check in counter till giving us with just barely 1 hour for all security clearance at their airport and running across their gigantic airport to the other extreme end to the boarding gate. Scanned wood in carry on bag was detected as liquid on their security system - then held up more time there.