Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus - Min Connection Transfer to PG at BKK

I am scheduled to arrive BKK from HND at 0450 on TG. I am hoping to connect to a domestic PG flight to USM at 0600. Is this enough time to transit from Int'l to Domestic and between different carriers? If I miss my flight, will PG just let me take the next one out? I have no idea what the policy is for that or where to look. I plan to be checking bags as my backpack will likely be too large for the comfort of a domestic airline's staff.

I am scheduled to arrive BKK from HND at 0450 on TG. I am hoping to connect to a domestic PG flight to USM at 0600. Is this enough time to transit from Int'l to Domestic and between different carriers? If I miss my flight, will PG just let me take the next one out? I have no idea what the policy is for that or where to look. I plan to be checking bags as my backpack will likely be too large for the comfort of a domestic airline's staff.

Are these flights on separate tickets? If you are on one ticket, you will clear customs and immigration @ USM. If you are on separate tickets, you will likely not make the 6AM PG flight.

Are these flights on separate tickets? If you are on one ticket, you will clear customs and immigration @ USM. If you are on separate tickets, you will likely not make the 6AM PG flight.

They are two separate tickets: reward (TG) and revenue (PG). For future reference, why would I clear customs at USM if this was one ticket? I have never gone from int'l to domestic and not cleared customs at the port of entry. Would I still have to switch from the int'l to domestic terminal anyway?

They are two separate tickets: reward (TG) and revenue (PG). For future reference, why would I clear customs at USM if this was one ticket? I have never gone from int'l to domestic and not cleared customs at the port of entry. Would I still have to switch from the int'l to domestic terminal anyway?

You would clear both customs and immigration in USM, if this would be a one ticket. Kinda weird, but this is Thailand. Haven't you been listening to the announcements that they ALWAYS make when flying to Bangkok on Thai?

I am commenting on the two threads you posted.
First, I would strongly suggest that you simply cancel the BKK-HKT leg of your ticket. If you don't, there is no hope to make the transfer to USM if you have bags. But cancelling a leg of a ticket that has been issued is not that easy.

You will be arriving "international" and must clear immigrations and then get into the "domestic" part of the terminal (sorry Holtju2, but you are wrong regarding immigration). In theory you are not allowed access to the international part and its lounges. All you will get is the domestic PG lounge (you would get the domestic TG lounge if in C to HKT, but it is an extremely basic lounge).

If you were on a single ticket HND (TG)-BKK (PG)-USM, TG would interline your luggage and you would only reclaim them in USM. If on two separate tickets, TG could interline them but it is not a "right". Japanese agents tend to be very strict on rules, so one might be careful. if they interline, PG allows web check-in, so that will save you the trouble of getting your boarding pass.
A big question is the legal (minimum) connecting time. It is usually 75 min at BKK, but there are many exceptions at 70 min. Someone with KVS might help, but I believe that PG applies 75 min. Then it is doubtful that the TG agent at HND will accept to interline your luggage. And if they dont, you should clear immigration in BKK (but the general immigration counters, not the transfer ones), retrieve your luggage, go to PG departure counter, check in your luggage, clear security and go to the gate. NO WAY you can do that in 70min.

You will be arriving "international" and must clear immigrations and then get into the "domestic" part of the terminal (sorry Holtju2, but you are wrong regarding immigration).

Sorry, I must have confused this with the customs then. I just keep hearing the song and dance about the connections to the other Thai destination.

So, you do actually clear the Thai immigration after the transfer counters, but customs only at the destination?

This has been true in Thailand for years. You clear immigration when you arrive in BKK from an international flight and continue on a domestic flight. On departure, you clear immigration at the Thai origin airport (e.g. HKT) if you continue on an international flight. The only exception is when the Thai origin airport is not deemed "international", few of those.

If you are on the same ticket.. you will get a CIQ sticker (Customs, Immigation and Quarantine), this means you can remain in-transit at BKK, but its only valid on flights to HKT, USM, C.Mai and Hat Yai (maybe also CEI and KBV).

I am commenting on the two threads you posted.
First, I would strongly suggest that you simply cancel the BKK-HKT leg of your ticket. If you don't, there is no hope to make the transfer to USM if you have bags. But cancelling a leg of a ticket that has been issued is not that easy.

You will be arriving "international" and must clear immigrations and then get into the "domestic" part of the terminal (sorry Holtju2, but you are wrong regarding immigration). In theory you are not allowed access to the international part and its lounges. All you will get is the domestic PG lounge (you would get the domestic TG lounge if in C to HKT, but it is an extremely basic lounge).

If you were on a single ticket HND (TG)-BKK (PG)-USM, TG would interline your luggage and you would only reclaim them in USM. If on two separate tickets, TG could interline them but it is not a "right". Japanese agents tend to be very strict on rules, so one might be careful. if they interline, PG allows web check-in, so that will save you the trouble of getting your boarding pass.
A big question is the legal (minimum) connecting time. It is usually 75 min at BKK, but there are many exceptions at 70 min. Someone with KVS might help, but I believe that PG applies 75 min. Then it is doubtful that the TG agent at HND will accept to interline your luggage. And if they dont, you should clear immigration in BKK (but the general immigration counters, not the transfer ones), retrieve your luggage, go to PG departure counter, check in your luggage, clear security and go to the gate. NO WAY you can do that in 70min.

Brunos,

Thanks for looking at my full story. I am going to cancel the BKK-HKT sector. So my award ticket will just be HND-BKK (TG) and I will take a flight 4 hrs later on PG for the BKK-USM sector. I am assuming that with a 4 hr connection and being checked in for my next flight that the TG agents at HND will interline my bag- I can't see why they wouldn't if I ask nicely. I am assuming that if I do this, then I can just use the transfer immigration counters?

Is the domestic PG lounge really any different than the TG lounge? This will be my first PG flight so I have no idea what to expect in terms of food. I've also heard that you can delay going through transfer immigration in order to stay on the int'l side of the airport longer. Is this true? Or is the arrival path from the flight such that you cannot get into the main part of the airport without getting rerouted by an agent toward the domestic side?

Is the domestic PG lounge really any different than the TG lounge? This will be my first PG flight so I have no idea what to expect in terms of food. I've also heard that you can delay going through transfer immigration in order to stay on the int'l side of the airport longer. Is this true? Or is the arrival path from the flight such that you cannot get into the main part of the airport without getting rerouted by an agent toward the domestic side?

domestic pg lounge is not quite as good as tg but its not that much worse.

arriving international pax are separated from departing pax at bangkok, you cant go back to international departures and the associated lounges without an international boarding pass or e-ticket in hand to get to the transit desks.

arriving international pax are separated from departing pax at bangkok, you cant go back to international departures and the associated lounges without an international boarding pass or e-ticket in hand to get to the transit desks.

You definitely can go the 3rd floor without any documentation. This has been rehashed too often.

Getting into the lounge is highly unlikely without a departing BP.

You definitely can go the 3rd floor without any documentation. This has been rehashed too often.

Getting into the lounge is highly unlikely without a departing BP.

You are not supposed to be there unless you are departing in an Intl flight. If you want to.lie to get in then be my guest but I wouldn't be telling others to do so.

You are not supposed to be there unless you are departing in an Intl flight. If you want to.lie to get in then be my guest but I wouldn't be telling others to do so.

I never said anything about lying. I never recommended people go there. I am simply saying that documentation of a flight is not a requirement to access the int departure level.

I never said anything about lying. I never recommended people go there. I am simply saying that documentation of a flight is not a requirement to access the int departure level.

well since the OP is connecting to domestic he has no access to international departures . ok?

well since the OP is connecting to domestic he has no access to international departures . ok?

Again, I wasn't addressing the subject of whether OP should or should not try to gain access to the int departure level. I am not getting into the debate about whether one should try to gain access to that level. I'm simply stressing there is no documentation needed to go up the escalator and through transfer security.

I also stated that even if OP should find his way to the level there is a slim to none chance of actually gaining entrance into the lounge without a departing *A BP.

OK?

OK?

yes

Alright similar question...on the return, my preferred flight is sold out :mad: and the next available flight for USM-BKK on PG leaves me only 1:40 to connect to my TG flight back to NRT. Is this enough time to go from domestic to int'l? Again this is on 2 separate tickets. Hopefully PG is in the mood to interline....

One last question, since I am *G, do you think PG will slap a priority tag on my bag since TG is operating my final segment into NRT? Or should I just save the tag from my inbound flight and put it on the bag at USM?

Alright similar question...on the return, my preferred flight is sold out :mad: and the next available flight for USM-BKK on PG leaves me only 1:40 to connect to my TG flight back to NRT. Is this enough time to go from domestic to int'l? Again this is on 2 separate tickets. Hopefully PG is in the mood to interline....

One last question, since I am *G, do you think PG will slap a priority tag on my bag since TG is operating my final segment into NRT? Or should I just save the tag from my inbound flight and put it on the bag at USM?

PG might, but unlikely, put their own priority tag on the bag. Otherwise you'll get nothing.

If that PG flight you're targeting is in the afternoon I'd be hesitant to book it. Often in the afternoon PG will take delays systemwide and if there is a schedule delay compounded by a weather delay you're going to be in a precarious situation.

If that PG flight you're targeting is in the afternoon I'd be hesitant to book it. Often in the afternoon PG will take delays systemwide and if there is a schedule delay compounded by a weather delay you're going to be in a precarious situation.

When flying on separate tickets, one really need to take into account possible departure and other delays.