greynose

Hi, I arrive BKK at 16:00 from LHR on a TG flight. My onward flight is domestic TG and I have 3 hours between the flights, which are on separate tickets.

I assume I can check luggage through to final destination but clear immigration at BKK. Do I just follow the signs indicating transfer to domestic flights, I seem to recall seeing these before but not taken much notice. . I've been through Suvarnabhumi dozens of times in the past but normally would stay in Bangkok for a while before heading off elsewhere.

A supplementary question, can I take duty free alcohol purchased at LHR through security to the domestic flight. It would still be in a sealed bag, etc.

Thanks for help.

SKT-DK

Yes (in 99% of cases), and thus yes and yes to your questions

greynose

Thanks

Thai-Kiwi

TG (or any airline) has no obligation to check through luggage on separate tickets. However some will, and TG is among the best for being willing to do so.

In nearly 40 years of flying into Thailand, I have never had an immediate connecting flight to a domestic destination. Things are well marked, and you’ll see signage in the area where 3 Concourses merge, either C/B/A with D (East side), or E/FG with D. Concourse D in the main one that holds arrival/departure halls, and the others are like 3 finger piers at each end.

BinSabai

it also depends, where your final destination is!
check through luggage and domestic transit is only applicable to certain destinations with international airports such as Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rain, Krabi, Koh Samui and I believe Trat (Koh Chang)

for all other airports you have to go through normal immigration, pick up luggage and check in again; 3 hours should be sufficient time also for that

greynose

Sorry, should have said, it's Chiang Mai. I'd forgotten that they list certain locations on the signage. And, as you point out, 3 hours is plenty of time, so I knew I was OK booking that flight.

MDOH

Related to this question, now that domestic security has been reorganized, does the passport check for international-domestic transfers take you to a pre-security portion of the domestic wing (meaning we would be able to access domestic lounges but still need to go through security again before heading to gates)? This could also impact OP's duty-free alcohol question, no?

greynose

Thanks to everyone who replied. I am now in Chiang Mai and everything went smoothly, according to plan.

At Heathrow they were able to connect my bookings and check luggage through to CNX.There was a slight hiccup because I had not put in my middle name when booking the domestic flight. Apparently that can cause problems.

Arriving at Suvarnabhumi you leave the gate and just look out for the large overhead signs for domestic transfer to Chiang Mai, Phuket, etc. After about 400m you get to the transfer immigration check. There was no queue, it took all of 2 minutes to go through and you get a sticker to identify you as having to clear customs at final destination. Immigration exits right by the shops and restaurants that are central between A and B domestic gates. I headed off to the Thai lounge.

I texted from the plane at 15:57 to say I'd landed and got to the domestic lounge at 16:24. Not bad!

Domestic security was before the B gates. At Heathrow duty-free they had asked if I would have a transfer and put my bottle of gin in a sealed tamper proof bag. Thai security did check it very carefully, reading the receipt, before letting it through.

At CNX when de-planing you have to follow the signs and go to a separate carousel in the International end of the airport, clearing customs there.

BinSabai

that's correct
after transit immigration at BKK, you get directly into A/B wing and can access lounge: later when going to the gate, you have to pass security
duty free from overseas are ok as long as they are sealed and you keep receipt