Thai-Kiwi

Not 'obvious' to me - just a possibility; I had thought the OP's driving interest was the adequacy of the connection time in a practical sense, for either option (one tix or two).

Cheers, TK

shimura

I did it before Xmas the opposite way, domestic to intnl, old to new terminal.
There is a shuttle bus running between the two terminals, a 5 minutes drive or so.

I had one piece of luggage, in BKK I asked at check in counter to deliver the bag at my final destination,but they were not willing to help,I didn't insist as I had a full 2 hours before the intnl flight with enough time to get the bag and carry it on the shuttle bus.

nldogbert

Hi Shimura,

Thanks for the info. Just wondering, how frequent does the shuttle run between the 2 terminals?
How long did it take you from plane to check-in counter?

Thanks.

shimura

Not sure,I had to wait 5 minutes,it should be every 15 minutes or so.

Being a domestic flight from BKK,about 30 minutes,but if you are doing the opposite way,remember sometime they have very long queues at immigration.

SilverChris

I wouldn't book a domestic/regional flight with TG for the sake of flying on a particular aircraft type. They're infamous for last-minute swaps.

Kacee

Not to mention chaos at the check-in counters. It's amazing how they managed to screw up a brand new terminal so profoundly.

nldogbert

OK. Do they have fast track @ HKT? Will be flying J-class, so hopefully there is some fast track lane available and baggage delivery will be relatively fast.

Thanks, yes I have taken this into account - I know about TG's infamous aircraft swap. But still hoping it will remain a 747 and I get on it.

shimura

[QUOTE=nldogbert;27808964]OK. Do they have fast track @ HKT? Will be flying J-class, so hopefully there is some fast track lane available and baggage delivery will be relatively fast.

no fast track incoming in HKT for clearing immigration, at least until december 2016.
I don't think this changed lately,check these

http://www.thephuketnews.com/transpo...eues-60736.php
http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-...EHsCDgy6UM8.97

dsquared37

Having significant time in country there's nothing about this I find amazing. Rather it's par for the course sadly.

andyptrav

Absolutely.

Departures:
The "new luggage scanners are "not yet available" so they have installed scanners OUTSIDE departures, the queue here can be over one hour.
Tip: all the tour buses and taxis drop their passengers at the near end (or even arrivals as you have to drive past arrivals to get to departures), TG check-in is at the far end and both times I have done this there was no queue for the scanners at the far end.

The queue for immigration will be 1-2 hours. There is no fast-track unless you are F. Apparently they "have only 13 computers". Even so there will only be 3 or 4 booths open, are the other 9 at arrivals?

The TG "temporary" lounge is merely a small cordoned off area at the north end. Last time I was there I was an F passenger, I and others had to sit in the general concourse.

Nearly all TG flights leave at least 30 minutes late. TG222, a connecting flight for BKK to European flights, is usually 1 hour late or in my case 3 hours late and was stacked at BKK for 20 minutes so I missed the London flight TG910 which was pushed back 7 minutes after TG222 docked at the gate. There were another 4 pax in F to London similarly left stranded - and I mean stranded: no private bus to the bus gate and no buggy after. This experience deserves a new thread when I have time, the experience was so bad it will make the reader laugh.

Puzzling TG910 left 1hr 52mins late on 14 Jan, 3hr 40mins late on 15 Jan and 2hr 50mins late on 16 Jan so not sure why it could not wait another 10 minutes or so on 03 Jan.


Arrivals
If using TG you will do transfer and immigration in Bangkok so 5-10 minute queue only usually. Otherwise 1- 2 hour queue at the new terminal.

For some unknown reason at this new terminal customs now scan every single bag instead of random checking as previously. There is only one scanner so you can queue here for over 1 hour.
TIP: If TG do not take a checked bag remove the "International" sticker put on you in BKK and exit at Domestic terminal. Or walk straight past the queue and customs scanner. I have actually done this with what was clearly a checked bag.

Note also that having opened an incomplete new terminal (but hey, the duty free shops were open) they have partially closed the Domestic Terminal for refurbishment causing similar delays there - yes right at the start of peak season. What were these people thinking?

My current advice despite being loyal to TG for so many years is do not use TG to Phuket, use SQ/Silk Air or an ME airline, at least that way your only issue will be immigration at Phuket and customs on arrival.

This Phuket airport and current TG time keeping shambles together with other Phuket issues such as the ever on-going transport mafia, beach chair bans and raw sewage effluent being openly discharged on to popular beaches will dissuade many tourists from ever returning despite the high quality of hotels and their hardworking helpful staff. Real shame.

Kacee

That sounds even worse than when I was last there in October.

Or connect through BKK and do immigration there so you're a domestic arrival/departure at HKT.

I was really disappointed to see the beach chairs all gone from Kata beach. Yet the taxi mafia remains. So they fixed a problem that wasn't, and failed to fix the one that is.

BinSabai

have not been to Phuket for years, while I used to go often 10-15 years ago
you can get everything elsewhere for a fraction of the Price and without hassle

Kacee

For those of us who travel far to reach Thailand, HKT is appealing b/c of the international airport . . . from SFO, I can one-stop via ICN or HKG. (Can also theoretically one-stop to USM, but the PG flights from HKG are really expensive and can't be booked with Avios, unlike KA's HKG-HKT flights.)

Fyd

I just got pack from HKT and your connection time might be too short.
The new International terminal is open for business and very nice, the old terminal has been torn apart and the domestic flights leave from the old, old terminal. You have to leave the international terminal, walk through parking around the terminal under construction to the tiny, tiny old-old terminal that only has 2 security gates at the entrance. The lines during my departure were long, all the way out the terminal. We waited about 45min just to get into the terminal. Local friends confirmed that lines are always long, but not usually that bad.
If you are running late, you can try your luck at the very left side of the domestic terminal. There is a VIP/seniors security line with an extra scanner. Show them that you are late for your flight, plead for mercy and you might get lucky... it's Thailand after all...
Good news is your luggage will probably make it and there are lots of flights to BKK/DMK, so you shouldn't have a problem to get there sooner or later...

SK AAR

The long lines to pass security check and enter the terminak is confined to the old terminal (domestic flights) or also applicable to the new terminal for int. flights?

Anyway, I read this in a post in the Thailand thread:

Just a heads up if there are long lines outside to get past the security check to get inside the HKT international departure terminal. Just take the elevator in the parking lot to the ground floor. There was no wait to get our bags x-rayed and then back up to the 3rd floor departures level where we saw tons of people still waiting in line outside. Or better yet, get dropped off at the arrival (ground floor) level if possible.

If the lines for security check are long, it maybe worth it to try to enter at arrival level/ground floor.