stanfordhokie

I am traveling on an award ticket from JFK-ICN-BKK in August. Upon arriving in BKK I will fly on a purchased ticket on Bangkok Airways to USM (Koh Samui). I assume I will have to reclaim my bag from TG (operating the ICN-BKK flight) and re-check in with Bangkok Airways. Any suggestions on how much time I need to do all of that before I book my onward ticket?

SorteeWammie

No, You'll have to get you bags at BKK. This wi dial you into the 411 http://www.samui.org/airport/
The only way is if Samui has passport control at the airport. there is virtually no customs in BKK. No form etc.
Will you be in BKK long before going to Samui. Remember the best shopping is in BKK. YOu are going to be in the Jet Lag Zone a bit so I would plan some down days to chill. I chill in Phuket (Patong Beach) and then move on from there. I fine a softer enviro easier to slip into the new time zone....BTW??? why aren't you doing the JFK BKK non stop on TG with your award. I go HNL NRT BKK and it takes much longer than the 17 hrs you have JFK BKK on TG!

If you have more questions pls PM me as I'm in BKK 6 or 7 times a year and this have been giong on for about 6 years. I'm a Phuket addict but do know bangers well enought.............

IFlyMRY

I have flown in and out of BKK several times and I have flown Bangkok Air from BKK to Kho Samui, although I have not connected in BKK.

You will need to clear immigration and have you photo taken in BKK before you enter Thailand then travel downstairs and take a short walk to Bangkok Air check-in. You will have to clear security before boarding a bus that takes you to the aircraft. Immigration can take 5 minutes if you are one of the first off the bus and there isn’t a line. Or it can take 1 hour.

It depends on what time you arrive and what other flights arrive just before or at the same time you arrive from ICN.

Bottom line: minimum 1 hour, maximum 2 hours. IMO

stanfordhokie

Thanks for the advice - the specifics are very helpful. I arrive at 1pm on a Thursday and was leaning towards 2 hours just to be safe.

bhatnasx

I've been there 3 times in the past 3 years & have never had this done...

I've also done the Koh Samui flights coming of int'l as well. Depending on when your flight comes in from ICN, there are generally regular depatures on Bangkok Airways, so you can give yourself time.

Your BKK Airways flight flies out of the domestic terminal - which, with a cart pushing your luggage is easily a 15 minute walk down a long hallway (which, if you've never been to BKK, may take you a few minutes to figure out where it is). They usually open up the BKK Airways flights 1-2 hours before departure - I'd check in at LEAST 40 minutes before departure time & although there generally isn't a long security wait in the domestic terminal, sometimes it's a 5 minute wait. Checking in can sometimes take 20 minutes as well. So, based on this - with the fact that you have to wait for a 747 or whatever you're flying into BKK to unload, pick up your luggage, then clear customs (which in BKK - the passport control can take a while if 2 jets landed at the same time), I'd give myself a MINIMUm of 2 hours - but, preferably more than that - especially coming off a JFK-ICN & ICN-BKK flight. You may want time to stretch your legs, grab a drink or a quick non-airline meal, etc, etc. I think it's better to be a little more time cautious than it is to miss your flight. I once missed BKK Airways from USM to Krabi and the next available flight to fly standby on was literally 2 days later - no other carriers go to USM either & during high season, those flights do tend to sell out regularly!

MrHalliday

I think "having your picture taken"
is referring to being face-scanned with a small webcam
just before they stamp your passport.

I entered via BKK twice in Feb-March,
and it happened both times.

Also was being done in PNH and MNL on recent entries.

stanfordhokie

bhatnasx - So very helpful - I am grateful. Bangkok Airway's flights to Koh Samui are surprisingly frequent (25/day), but I agree, a 2 -3 hour window seems the way to go.

Dizzle

They started doing this at BKK sometime early 2005. On my first trip in Dec '04, there were no cameras. Then, in Jan '05, the cameras were set up, but no pictures were being taken yet. Then, in Feb '05 (and every trip after that), I had my picture taken.

mahjongguy

Go ahead and book PG165 at 15:20.

Chances are you'll be checked-in waaay early, and if you ask they may send you out at 14:30 or 14:50. Or, if you miss it, there are still 8 more flights remaining. You can't lose, especially in August. That's low season.

In the schedule, note the aircraft types for each flight. Flight time for the AT7 turboprop is 1:30 vs. 1:00 for the 717, but both planes are comfortable. Here's a shot of the 717. http://www.ninedragons.com/samui/pg_717.jpg

I didn't want to fly on the 717 'cause I thought it might be some ancient 60's successor to the 707. Not. It's a McDonnell-Douglas concept from the mid-90's and it's perfect for this route.

RobUAIntl

I was there 2 weeks ago. The cameras were there at immigration, but they didn't seem to be using them. If they took my picture, I wasn't aware and I was fairly intentionally trying to stay away from the camera's line of sight.

If you have extra time at BKK, there are massage places (at least in the int'l departure areas). Not as cheap as in town, but not expensive either. After a long flight, it would be refreshing. My recollection was the cost was 800 Bhat / hour ($21/hr). And if you're in a hurry you can have two people work on you at once (one on head/shoulders and the other on your feet). This is wonderful.

Note: these are legitimate massage places. If you want the other kind, you'll have to go into town. And, as you know, what goes on in Bangkok, stays in Bangkok.

IFlyMRY

This is for sure, but it only adds about 5-10 seconds to you "proccessing" time.

bhatnasx Good point about the flights to and from USM being sold out, sometimes for days. If you have a delay coming into BKK it would be best to allow for more time but I hate hanging around Don Muang.

As they say on LOS "up to you".

mahjongguy

"Good point about the flights to and from USM being sold out..."

bhatnasx wrote that it was flights between Ko Samui and Krabi that were sold out, although there don't seem to be any such flights on PG's schedule.

transpac

A couple of alternatives:

- purchase a ticket now with a longer connection time, then stand-by for an earlier flight when you get to the domestic terminal and check-in.

- purchase a ticket when you arrive BKK.

In addition to the daily flights there are additional flights on certain days of the week. For the OP (Thursday departure in August) there are flights at 15:20 (PG 165); 16:00 (PG 173); 16:50 (PG 179); 17:20 (PG 175).

After clearing immigration, claiming any checked luggage and clearing customs I would personally walk to the domestic terminal, but only because I am unfamilar with any buses that might might be available. I usually make this walk in 10 min. or less. You'll need to proceed left (direction if coming down the escalator after immigration) through terminal 2, then go up one level ( two escalators ) and proceed in that same direction (left, or ~ south) through a long, enclosed, elevated walk-way. There should be 'yellow on black' signs indicating the directions to the domestic terminal. I think you may have to go down one level to check-in with Bangkok Airways, once you reach the domestic terminal.

17-a

[QUOTE=RobUAIntl]I was there 2 weeks ago. The cameras were there at immigration, but they didn't seem to be using them. If they took my picture, I wasn't aware and I was fairly intentionally trying to stay away from the camera's line of sight.QUOTE]

15 trips to BKK last year---

Get on the first bus if they remote park, which occurs 98% of the time on UA, it seems---Move to the far side ot the bus-you'll get off first-Be one of the fastest runners in your squad---Mainly because it's nearly mid-night (whoops you said SQ or TG, didn't you?) You will probably get a gate, but a good, not too obvious (no eye contact) trot would suffice-because everyone is in a rush--- The first 3 or 4 immigration stands you see may not be the fastest---You may want to keep moving down the line and hope the agent you get isn't on Ambien--- Entering and exiting BKK @ immigration they now have working cameras on their podium's, and they DO take your picture. What's cool is to hang out there for awhile and watch the people take off their hats, when directed by the officer, and hang them over the camera---It's a riot---
About 10 to30% thinks they are hat racks---

Japanese and Thai languages don't sound too much alike, so English finally gets the hat off the camera, but sometimes back on their head---

Go down stairs get your bags if ya got em (They are pretty fast getting them out) Now you will need to go to terminal #1 (Domestic), and check in you and your bags to Koh Samui--- Bangkok Air has a pretty nice lounge area for all passengers after you go thru srcurity at both airports---Free drinks and finger food, etc.
No 500 Baht to fly out of BKK on a domestic, but you'll need it when you leave Thailand--- And there there was around a 400 or 500 Bhat fee to leave Koh Samui airport---Don't remember the exact amount? Around 20 bucks, I think---

I'm still trying to get a refund for nearly $1,000 from BKKAIR (Seim Reap) that I was promised I'd get in 3 to 4 weeks and it's been 8 weeks-
Going back over in a few weeks and will run it down---AGAIN!!!

Koh Samui is wonderful-but if you get a chance go to Hua Hin---two hour drive south of BKK---Better beaches, in MHO---

Have fun---

17-a

Many flight fill up and may not be available when you get there---
And BKK Air domestic flights have ALWAYS been on time for me---
Thai Air flights domestic are a crap shoot---

I bought all of my Bangkok Air itineraries on their web sight, and had no problem---

Up-2-U how you want to connect--- Buy here or buy there-I'd buy the tickets here, but ALL passengers MUST fly on the itinerary of the person purchasing the ticket, or they'll cancel the other persons reservation (if it's not on their card, and you have separate res's.)---

You will need to go to ticketing near the check-in counter to trade your e-ticket confirmation for a paper ticket before you are allowed to check in---Only takes a few minutes, however---
I liked Bangkok Air-45 to an hour and box lunches and drinks---
Thai people are very, very lovely people, and take pride in their airlines---

One hour and 17 minutes LAS to SFO (TED) and any little mogul, is a cause for bis in order to read a magazine---

It's gonna be HOT-HOT-HOT, but the rainy season starts, not soon enough!
Enjoy!