BKK - questions on intl -domestic and domestic-intl TG connections BKK?
 

I am thinking of booking the following for August:

1. Arrive after 10 pm from ICN; next morning go to PHK

Are there any airside or landside hotels at the airport?

2. Arriving 10 pm from HKT; about 1.5 hours go to ICN

Suitable connection time? - esp as one has to go via customs and immigration?


3. We are coming from and go to Canada - with additional connections

a) so would bags from Canada-ICN-BNK go straight to HKT (without us picking up the bags) - as connection time less than 24 hours?

b) from HKT to BKK to ICN/Canada - do we have to pick up the bags in BKK?

a lot of questions!
1. airside Louis Tavern, landside Novotel (pretty expensive) and many cheaper hotels with pick up and drop off
2. sufficient! you will go through immigration at HKT (check in at international check ins); only security from domestic to international departure
3a: usually yes check through until HKT if airlines have interline agreement
3b: no pick up in BKK if on same airline or airlines have interline agreement

Thank you, for your responses.


I have some additional follow-up questions:


Question 1) a few years ago, I flew from ICN to Perth Australia, via BKK on TG. I slept for several daytime hours at the Louis Tavern. However, the stopover in BKK was between 2 international destinations - now we plan to fly from ICN to HKT. So is the airside hotel on the international side or on the domestic side - airside. To put it another way, do I need to go through customs and immigration, to get to Louise Tavern, or not. I believe I did not have to go through customs and immigration those several years ago, but I can not remember.

Of course, if the bags come out on the carousel or conveyor belt in BKK (but you say that is not the case), then I have to come out to the landside of the airport, to pick up the bags. Of course, I could always ask that the bags be checked through to BKK, and not through to HKT.

Question 2) are you saying that I go through passport control at HKT, not at BKK - if I have a same day outgoing connecting flight at BKK. Is passport control (customs and immigration) as efficient at HKT as it is in BKK (I ask, because there is a post on the Air Canada forum that may not be the case).

Question 1/3: are you implying that if I went on a pure domestic flight - such as BKK to HKT (which I plan to do) or HKT back to BKK (without making an international connection at BKK) - there is no security?!?!?!

Further to BinSabai's comment about interlining - is your trip from Canada to ICN-BKK-HKT all on one ticket? or is the ICN-BKK-HKT (return) on a separate ticket from the Canada-ICN?

If on a separate tickets, then besides possible issues if airlines do not interline, you also carry some risk in the event of delays causing missed connections. With 8,000+ posts, I'm guessing you'll be aware of this postential situation....but for others reading

On a same day connection of this type it's easy to have your bags checked through to HKT (I assume it's HKT as PHK isn't a legit airport for Asia). As you've got an overnight connection you may or may not get pushback from the airline at checkin.

You will not be able to access the international departure areas (where Louis Tavern is) with a domestic connection. Better off grabbing your bags in BKK and getting a room close to the airport.

You can hit lines at exit immi in HKT but so long as you get to the airport a little early you'll be fine. Your time in BKK is fine for a cxn requiring only transfer securty but is tight for grabbing bags, re-checking in and then going through security and immi.

Do you really believe that to be possible? :confused::confused:

I certainly did not imply that. Not sure how you conclude this from my answer!
there is ALWAYS security when you enter a departure area!

other questions have been answered

I am not sure what you were saying by the phrase:


"only security from domestic to international departure" - were you saying that I only have to go through one security check-point - ie at HKT (and no additional security at BKK?).

In terms of the other posters- it would be one ticket. But in view of the fact that Louis' tavern is airside only on the international side of the airport, it makes more sense to go through passport control in BKK, and check my bags on through flights from Vancouver via ICN to BKK, and then pick them up in Bankgok, for an overnight stay at an airport hotel. Even it is more expensive, I would have been flying 24 hours (with connetions) - so I do not think I would want an off-site hotel with a shuttle, even if cheaper than the on-site (BKK) hotel. What do you think?

Our projected arrival time would be past 10 pm - are there shuttles to the off-site hotels at that time of night? Does one have to call for the shuttles, or do they arrive regularly and automatically, even at that time of night?

Stay at the Novotel connected to the airport, the Louis Tavern is ok but the staff is miserable and the rooms are overpriced.

"only security from domestic to international departure" was the answer to your 2. question as you were concerned, that 90 min from domestic flight (from HKT) to international flight (ICN) was NOT sufficient. Therefore I told you not to worry, as you already go through immigration in HKT and in BKK, you do NOT have to go through immigration, but ONLY through security!

Thanks, for the clarification.


It still is somewhat confusing as to what you are saying, so let me put it in my own words:

a) going from ICN to BKK to HKT, one goes through immigration/passport control. Whether same day connection or next day connection at BKK, one has to go through security for a domestic flight.

b) when going from HKT to BKK to ICN - if same day connection, one goes through security twice - once at HKT and again at BKK. One goes through immigration at HKT.

If one wanted to stay overnight at BKK after arriving from HKT and leaving for ICN - even if a legal (<24 h stopover) connection, one would go through immigration at BKK, not at HKT.

If one flew in from most other Thai cities on TG to BKK, and then made a TG connection to ICN from there, and if there was no immigration facilities in those airports, then one would have to go through immigration in BKK? - pick up or not pick up the bags at BKK?

correct

security twice, immigration at your point of departure in HKT

sure immigration is in BKK

when transiting in BKK from Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Ko Samui, Hat Yai you can clear immigration at your original destination. For other cities immigration is in BKK
I hope this is clear now!

That is an option (and the better one typically). Pax can decide to fly HKT-BKK as a domestic segment and go through immi in BKK. Even if a same day connection.


Also Krabi (KBV).

There was a poster who claimed to go through immi in UTH when flying PG to connect to an INT flight exBKK and apparently this was something PG offered specifically. However this is now moot as PG has pulled out of UTH.

[QUOTE=dsquared37;26275170]That is an option (and the better one typically). Pax can decide to fly HKT-BKK as a domestic segment and go through immi in BKK. Even if a same day connection.




[QUOTE]

now, it is more confusing. The HKT-BKK is a domestic flight. How can the airline or the government separate those passengers flying domestically (flying HKT-BKK) from those connecting onto international destinations in BKK - from an immigration, checked baggage, and security perspectives, you have 2 groups of passengers

But with a 90 min connection time in BKK, why would anyone prefer to go through immigration in BKK, rather than in HKT- assuming that as you said, both options are available to the passenger?

Not confusing at all. Pax who are flying as an international segment (read: already stamped out of the country) will get a 'CIQ' sticker and will proceed to CIQ security in the B (domestic) concourse. Once through security pax will take the escalator to the 3rd floor which is international departures.

Upon arrival in BKK from HKT if you are confused just ask any staff. It's very easy.

I second that! not confusing at all! a little sticker divides a crowd and a ground staff will catch you if you walk towards the wrong side!
nothing to worry!
They do this for years, so you are not the first!