Originally Posted by xevious

I will be connecting through BKK next month and have about 18 hours for a layover. For those of you familiar with BKK, do you recommend leaving the airport to find a nearby hotel (up to $100/night)?

If so, what specifics should I know about leaving the airport? Since I'll have to go through customs and I'm assuming pay some kind of fee to enter the country, is it worth it for 18 hours? And how early should I return to the airport before my international departure? (I'm unaware of how long it takes to get back into this airport).

And should I convert USD to Thai currency before leaving the airport? Recommendations for transportation to/from a hotel?

For anyone who can help with instructions, thanks a million in advance. ^ Normally I wouldn't step out of the airport in a completely unfamiliar country, but I'm confident that FlyerTalk will take the fear factor out of this process!