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Old Jan 24, 2004, 4:06 pm
  #16  
Always Flyin
 
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Brattflyer:
My bags were not connected through, so I could retrieve some personal articles. My plan was to get my bags and go back to the day rooms. I was operating under some information I read in another topic here on FT that said if you are connecting and go outside immigration, they will stamp your visa with a stamp that says you will be in BKK less than 12 hours and you don't have to pay the departure tax.
Not true!
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I don't know where you received that information. That used to the case, but has not been so for about two years.

Did you check with United before you left or check the information page for the Bangkok airport or Thai government before you left?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">I tried to get some accurate information before I waited in line, but noone, not even the women at the information booth spoke English enough to undertand the nature of my problem. Because it was 1:30 AM after I waited in line to get the above information, I couldn't reach either Bangkok Airways or United to inform them of the bag transfer. Because I told the immigration people I was connecting and just wanted to get my bag and come back inside without paying the departure tax, they wouldn't let me through immigration. They said the airlines would have to handle it.
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There are extremely few countries that allow you to retrieve your bags before going through immigration. I can't think of any off the top of my head.

Since you were in Thailand, isn't it a bit presumptuous to expect Thais to speak English? I realize English speakers get spoiled traveling because English is so widely spoken, but when not in an English speaking country, I try not to expect the local people to speak English, and am grateful when they do.

That said, my experience in Thailand is generally good with English. You have to speak slowly, use simple words, look for comprehension on their face, and if you don't see it, try and substitute alternative words they might know. The most important thing is to NEVER raise your voice or make a scene. I guarantee that if you try that, their English comprehension will instantly go to zero and you will get nothing. It is a really big deal in Thailand.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">So, I spent an agonizing three hours not knowing what happened to my bag until the RCC opened at 4 AM, when United confirmed they had my bage and would transfer it to Bangkok Airways.
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This was a US$12.50 problem. If you really needed your bags, you could have gone through immigration, recovered your bags, and then paid the 500 Baht departure tax to get back airside.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">During that time I learned that the day rooms get full early, there is a decent 24 hour restaurant run by Thai Airways airside, and to always check your bags all the way through if you are connecting in BKK.
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Where wouldn't you check your bags all the way through if you are just connecting through an airport?

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