Originally Posted by
dsquared37
That's interesting because we tried to do this last year USM-BKK-PNH and were told we could not. Same thing earlier this year CNX-BKK-PNH.
Both times it was either check bags through AND go through immigration in USM/CNX or pick up our bags in BKK and subsequently check in for the connection flight and go through immigration there.
I'm rather confused what the policy really is.
Actually, I think you're both agreeing on the people part, just not the baggage handling part. it sounds like seanthepilot's experience is sort of your second scenario. Where the entire PNR was domestic connection to international, but sean told the check-in agent in HKT about the BKK plans and the agent just checked them in for HKT-BKK as domestic flight, requiring immigration be done out of BKK. Perhaps this particular agent just let the bags go through, even though I didn't think they were supposed to for security/antiterrorism reasons. Maybe sean just got lucky on this trip.
My understanding is same as yours, you have two options but can't mix them up. So, if the OP wants to leave the airport/airside transit to meet people in BKK, then he should alert CNX check-in and only get processed domestically, not going through immigration. Nice touch though, if the bags can be processed through all the way to KIX (though it wouldn't surprise me if they balked doing this at CNX).