Hi all
I have a 2 hour stopover in Dubai while flying to LGW from Bangkok.Do you know if I would be able to visit Dubai duty free at the airport in this time,or are you not able to go to duty free if your just in transit.?? I would not be purchasing alcohol,just tobacco.Thanks to all.

In my experience, 2 hours is cutting it fine during transit (yes, you go through duty free in transit).

Depending on what time you land in Dubai, if its early morning the plane could be circling above Dubai to get clearance to land due to the sheer volume of flights arriving and departing. This coupled with by the time you land, taxi to a stand - and if your getting bused to a terminal, this all adds up and then going through security - you *may* just be able to browse before it's time for your onward flight.

:Thanks all...flight is scheduled to land at 00:50 and the flight from Dubai for LGW takes off at 02:50,so hopefully I'll have time.I know what I need exactly( Golden Virginia rolling tobacco!!),so will be in and out pretty quick. Am just thinking if it may be cheaper in Thailands shops,and if so could put it in checked luggage..maybe?!..

Slightly off topic..Does anyone know if there is a reason Emirates doesnt fly direct to BKK from LGW...?..I know LHR has BA doing direct flights but used them once and never again.(Old planes,dismal food and not a patch on Emirates)
Thanks again....

Emirates is based in Dubai, not the UK. They cannot just fly from any country to any country, generally most routes can only be operated by airlines based on the origin or destination country, exceptions are known as fifth freedom routes. The traffic from LGW to BKK alone may also not suffice to justify a dedicated flight, EK operate over 10 daily flights from the London area to Dubai and you can then connect onwards to dozens of destinations around the world, a much broader range of markets than simply LGW-BKK.

Check the price on the outbound to BKK at the Dubai Duty Free, then check in BKK if it's cheaper (probably is), if so then buy there, if not buy in DXB on the return. Plenty of Duty Free available in transit.

PS: none of my business but smoking kills

Skywardhunter put his finger on common and valid reasons (traffic rights and demand), but there is more to it:
EK, like most other large international airlines operates all flights from it's 'base' or 'hub' in Dubai. OK, I know that you can book sectors like MXP-JFK or DPS-AKL, but those are merely extensions of flights starting at DXB. Their aircraft are based in Dubai and so is the crew operating them. So to start a route which is not 'connected' to DXB would be a logistical (and economic) nightmare. Think maintenance, catering etc (apart from crew considerations).
BA has two 'fleets', one based at LGW and one at LHR. And even there, the aircraft and crew 'belong' to those bases, which are just 20 or so miles apart.
Of course in the US the operating model is a bit different, there are many 'point to point' routes (and I have little knowledge or interest in how that is logistically managed. Does the AC that operates CLT-LHR actually 'belong' to CLT?). And in Europe we have Ryanair, and even there they have separate 'bases' for routes (whilst still maintaining that flight deck and cabin crew fall under Irish employment law which is getting them in increasingly hotter water).
So the long and the short of it is that if you want to fly EK, DXB is part of the equation (well, almost always as mentioned above).

But if you can prove me wrong and get them to fly LGW-BKK for you, please put in a good word for me and organise CPT-LGW which is my most common route. Yes, that can also be done on BA (seasonally CPT/LGW and daily CPT/LHR), but like you I am ok to spend the extra hours via DXB to avoid BA.

So does alcohol...

TBD

I have a booking on Emirates from BKK to DXB on 13 Nov returning 21 Nov. I have a separate booking on Flydubai from DXB to Dushanbe on 13 Nov returning 21 Nov.

My Emirates booking has the following fare rule:
MINSTAY
Travel from last international stopover must commence no earlier than 3 days after departure of the first international sector.

1) Does the Flydubai booking invalidate the Emirates booking since it departs on the same day as arrival in DXB?

2) If not, can i link the 2 separate bookings so that I can check my luggage all the way through from BKK to Dushanbe?

3) If I can't link the 2 bookings and I need to pick up my luggage at DXB, is there a luggage storage service at DXB Terminal 2 so that I can go into Dubai city centre during transit without hassle.

Thank you for your help.

I guess you've already been and gone but I would say it should be enough time providing they're not full. There's only one toilet cubicle in the men's in the lounge but several in the shower area so keep that in mind. The ones in the shower are also far more pleasant to use. I try to do the shower thing on the way out so I don't have to hike back to the lounge afterwards. I use it all the time even if I arrive/depart from A/C/another terminal.

1) No, they are not related. This is a fare restriction not an immigration one;
2) You can't link the PNRs since they are on separate airlines but you can ask to have your bags checked through;
3) Yes DXB, has baggage storage but you can simply check-in then go to DCC.