Gretings and Happy New Year

I will be traveling to Phuket via BKK in late January. I should arrive in BKK about midnight and depart for Phuket around 8am the following morning.

My plan is to spend the night in the transit facilities in BKK.

Can anyone comment on them or offer an alternative?

Thanks.

Jim Williams

The Amari is fine. You could get beter digs at any nice hotel off airport but then you have the hassle of two taxi rides.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by QuietLion:
The Amari is fine. You could get beter digs at any nice hotel off airport but then you have the hassle of two taxi rides.</font> Agree. To my surprise, local Thais consider the Amari a 'good' hotel. I've never stayed there, so I can't add any personal observations, though.

Evidently there is also an in-airport mini-hotel, that rents beds by the hour to travelers in transit. I've never been there myself, but I'm in the same boat. I arrive in BKK at midnight, and my next segment doesn't depart until early in the morning, so I have about a five hour layover.

http://www.airportthai.or.th/airportnew/bia/html/service9.html#others1

Hello

Since I have just returned from this trip I thought I would post a reply based on my experiences.

First, regarding the transit facilities in Bangkok...apparently they are INSIDE the arrival area, not OUTSIDE, as I was told when I asked in Bangkok. So, I never did find them. The only facilities outside the arrival area (in the unsecured part of the terminal) are the CIP day rooms which have no facilities expect a bed. Not what I needed.

Second, I did stay at the Amari on my return flight. It is not simple to find from the domestic terminal. The Amari is located across from International Terminal 1. I was traveling on Thai airways and just walked up with no reservation, so I was able to get a room for US$130. The regular rate is US$260.

For $130 the room was okay. I only wanted to sleep and make my next flight out to the US at 6am. I suppose if I had been more alert I could have been more critical, as I noticed that the carpeting in the lobby on my floor was terribly dirty and stained. But, my room was fine.

It is only a short walk to Terminal 2 where my flight left. I left the hotel at 4am. That was too early by at least 30 minutes.

Happy to answer any e-mail inquires.

Actually staying away from the airport is no big deal as taxi's are cheap. You can take a cab to the Amari Atrium which is in E. Bangkok for about 100 Baht or less than three bucks... I was there last week and you could get a really nice room for $40 USD which included a great buffet breakfast from 6AM to 10 AM.... Takes about 20 minutes to a half hour in the cab - if not rush hour time. The hotel will also provide you transporation with their "limo" for 642 BAht which is about 15 USDollars...(one way).

------------------
reb

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by buck hunter:
You can take a cab to the Amari Atrium which is in E. Bangkok for about 100 Baht or less than three bucks... </font>
Sounds like you avoided the 50 baht airport surcharge. The Amari on Phetburi is a decent hotel. Did you have time to wander around that area a bit? Perhaps check out Panthip Plaza?

Hmmm... 100 Baht from the airport? Never been able to get a fare that good! I must be missing something. It's usually around 150 for me http://www.flyertalk.com/airports/ftairports_forum/wink.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Chiangi:
Hmmm... 100 Baht from the airport? Never been able to get a fare that good! I must be missing something. It's usually around 150 for me http://www.flyertalk.com/airports/ftairports_forum/wink.gif</font> That's right.

Sorry, the 100 baht was from the hotel to the airport...if from the airport they have an additional charge - which ends up being 150 or so baht (still cheap). Last time, I actually just lined up the Amari Atruim's "limo" for 642 baht and they were waiting for me at 3:30 A.M. and was just a 20 minute run at that time of morning to the airport..although leaving that early, you miss the big breakfast in the lobby..(omlets etc. etc). Did get some time to wander around and enjoyed it.. Get a bottle of SINGA beer in the little 7-11 around the corner from the hotel for about 35 cents or so... They are on the internet also for rooms at about 55 or 60 USD..but if you check in directly with the hotel it was 40 USD !! Good Luck.. REB

Evidently there is also an in-airport mini-hotel, that rents beds by the hour to travelers in transit. I've never been there myself, but I'm in the same boat. I arrive in BKK at midnight, and my next segment doesn't depart until early in the morning, so I have about a five hour layover.

http://www.airportthai.or.th/airportnew/bia/html/service9.html#others1

This looks like an interesting link but it is no longer active. Any good websites that provide Don Muang facility information>

This looks like an interesting link but it is no longer active. Any good websites that provide Don Muang facility information>

http://www.airportthai.co.th/airportnew/bia/html/service9.html#service9

They just changed the .or.th to .co.th

I travel through BKK all the time and often have 6-8 hours there in transit. It is a hassle to stand in the visa line, and then go outside and take a taxi to a hotel - especially at midnight or later. The Amari is within walking distance, but it is a middling hotel and expensive.

I often stay in the hotels inside the airports. They rent them by blocks of hours 2,4, 6, 8 hours. If memory serves, they are reasonably priced. I may have paid $60-80 for the longest stay of 8 hours. Its basically a place to sleep, and take a shower - the rooms have small TVs and phones. You can even reserve them in advance. There is are phone numbers on the BKK airport site.

The catch: it is best to do this with carry-on only, or when you can check your baggage all the way through. Many airlines will not do the latter, so you would have to go outside through immigration , collect your luggage, and clear customs. Then you would have to try to check in for your next flight, pay the exit tax, etc. Too much of a hassle.

Just to add to this thread, can I advise people against staying at the Asia Airport Hotel at BKK?

It was a depressing experience - the 'shuttle' service ran once an hour - we just missed the midnight pickup so had to wait until 1am

The hotel is in a sorry state - carpets stained, strange smell about the place, the aircon hadn't been on in our room and it took ages to have any real effect. The door didn't lock properly and I should have been more concerned about this, but I was also exhausted.

Also, it's a lot more than 5 minutes form the airport - i'd suggest it took 15 mins to get there and closer to 30 to get back because of 1) traffic and 2) we were heading for the domestic terminal which is the 3rd stop.

If you're using TG, the Airport Amari does advertise a 40% discount which makes it more reasonable and although our room was cheap ($40) I wouldn't care to repeat the experience...

The catch: it is best to do this with carry-on only, or when you can check your baggage all the way through. Many airlines will not do the latter, so you would have to go outside through immigration , collect your luggage, and clear customs. Then you would have to try to check in for your next flight, pay the exit tax, etc. Too much of a hassle.

Are you saying that you don't have to exit the arrivals area if you have only carry-ons - and can get to the dayrooms without paying the departure tax or re-entering security?

Are you saying that you don't have to exit the arrivals area if you have only carry-ons - and can get to the dayrooms without paying the departure tax or re-entering security?


That is correct. These dayrooms are 'airside'. Rather than following the crowd to immigration, follow the 'transit' signs into the main transit area (duty free shops, fast food restaurants, 2+story ceiling). Follow signs for "dayrooms" or in this main transit area face away from the gates/runway then look up one level, you should see some stairs leading up to the area where the dayrooms are.

http://www.miraclegrandhotel.com/dayroom.html

That is correct. These dayrooms are 'airside'. Rather than following the crowd to immigration, follow the 'transit' signs into the main transit area (duty free shops, fast food restaurants, 2+story ceiling). Follow signs for "dayrooms" or in this main transit area face away from the gates/runway then look up one level, you should see some stairs leading up to the area where the dayrooms are.


Wonderful - thanks for the info! And thanks for the link, Savage25!

I flew HKT-BKK recently on Bangkok Air (PG) arriving around 8PM with a connection on UA at 7AM. I was deposited at the dom term and couldn't get airside at the in't term, because UA wasn't open. The PG agent said I should have gotten listed as a transit pax in HKT (nobody told me this in HKT) but an LH agent at BKK said PG couldn't issue a UA BP so I would have to go landside regardless.

Does anybody know if/how to make the transition from a domestic flight to an int'l flight at BKK without going landside?

Does anybody know if/how to make the transition from a domestic flight to an int'l flight at BKK without going landside?

Doubt it since there are 2 seperate terminals (the 2 international ones are really one long and joint terminal). AFAIK, you have to walk between the 2 even if you were flying TG-TG or PG-PG. You need to get past immigration and you can't do this w/o a boarding pass (unless you know someone in authority).

I did notice, when deplaning at the dom term that there was a small van there in which several pax were being sent somewhere. I was thinking they may have been official transit pax and were being sent to the intl terminal.
Anybody know about this possibility?

I stayed at the Radisson about halfway from the Airport to downtown. I paid about $55 (through Hotelclub) and the place was fabulous. The room came with free buffet breakfast of Thai, Chinese and American choices. The taxi cab ride took 30 minutes during rush hours - at about 150 bahts.

I did notice, when deplaning at the dom term that there was a small van there in which several pax were being sent somewhere. I was thinking they may have been official transit pax and were being sent to the intl terminal.
Anybody know about this possibility?

Was this off the plane you were on or some other, and at tha hardstands or not? PG flights to Cambodia, Laos and other places use the domestic terminal hardstands but you're bussed to and from the international terminal for immigration and customs. Perhaps the pax were VIPs or some other? I got off a PG flight from REP and some people were driven away in a minivan while the rest of us took a bus.

Unless there is a passport control area that you don't access from landside in the int'l terminal, I really doubt if there airline/airport dom=>int transfer for most pax other than by on foot.

This was upon deplaning on a HKT-BKK flight on Bangkok Air(PG). We came down the steps from the plane and were ushered into waiting busses. Except 4 or 5 pax who were ushered into a van.

When I asked the PG staff about being a transit passenger they said I should have had my passport stamped in HKT. That would, apparently (and this is what I'm trying to discover) have allowed me to go to the int'l term. I don't know this means via a van directly or by walking and presenting my already stamped passport (and departure card) to the passport control in the int'l term.

Next time around I'd like to get into the airside of the intl term for my early morning flight the next morning. This will allow me to sleep in the day room airside.

If it means getting a stamp of some sort at my domestic embarkation point in HKT (or wherever else in Thailand), I'll make sure to do it. Just not sure if this is an option or not.

Has anybody had experience with this situation?

I am arriving into Bangkok at 11pm and have another flight which I need to be at check-in no later than 4:30am. I have to go through customs and immigration in order to collect my airplane ticket and visa (off to Bhutan) from the tour representative. Does anyone know if you can stay at the transit facilities and then clear customs four hours after you arrive?