ryder1650

I need to connect from a BR flight arriving BKK around 2:20AM to a Thai Smile flight departing BKK around 4:40AM. These are on two separate tickets. The Thai Smile flight is also international.

Few questions:

1. What is the procedure in BKK to transfer between two airlines on separate tickets? I will not be checking a bag.

2. Is 2 hrs and 20 minutes enough time to complete everything?

rambutan

Should be easy; 2 hrs will be plenty of time. When you arrive look for transit signs and do not exit to baggage claim. Depending on where your BR arrival gate is, it may be a long walk but you need to go to the domestic transit area, near concourses A and B. I think the signs say something like "Transfer to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, ..." Follow those signs to an area where you will see airline transit desks and immigration desks.

Assuming you will not yet have your Thai Smile boarding pass, go first to the airline transit desk and check in. Then go to the line for immigration, with boarding pass and passport. They will stamp you into Thailand, you'll then go through a transit security check area, and from there you'll move into the domestic terminal area (A and B gates) where you can go to the gate for the Thai Smile flight.

It's really good that you're not checking a bag! The transit will be easy.

rambutan

Oh, wait... I just re-read your post and saw that the Thai Smile flight is international! I did not know they used that brand for international flights!! (??)

Anyway, just go to one of the Transit counters and check in on the Thai/Thai Smile flight. They will then direct you to the appropriate transit security check area and you'll be able to proceed to your gate. 2+ hours should be plenty of time.

ryder1650

Thank you!

nanyang

Bring a printed booking confirmation with you - they will want to see some documentation when you go to transfer security.

Flew with Thai Smile (international) for the first time last week. Was quite impressed. Enjoy the flights!

dsquared37

Transit counters are after security, an oddity that is BKK.

OP will need a printout of their itin to access transfer security to then proceed to the transfer counter to check in/receive their BP.

ryder1650

Update:

The experience was not great. BR flight landed on time near the West transfer desk. Was able to clear security fairly fast, but there is no Thai Smile counter at the west transfer desk.

Make the long walk to the East side and happily see the Thai Smile desk had no line while the TG line was massive (at 3AM mind you).

Unfortunately, the agent refused to check me in at first for my WE flight since I was coming from BR and not TG. She said it is WE policy that the transfer desk only issues boarding passes for those coming in on TG and not any other airline. She repeatedly said I would have to go through immigration, check in at the main counter and then come back airside. After a lot of back and forth, she called a supervisor on the phone and they agreed to make a "one time exception" to print my WE boarding pass airside.

I'm not sure what the issue was; the agent was able to clearly see the reservation, and once the supervisor said yes, she pressed one button and out popped my boarding pass.

On my return, I was able to easily get my boarding pass at the BR lounge in the F boarding area.

Thai-Kiwi

I wonder if the THAI Smile transfer desk is there only to assist those with a WE sector following a TG international flight all on one PNR? Otherwise they are a point-point LCC and I expect that they have utterly no interst in your non-TG/WE arrangements.

Indeed, trying to get UTH-KBV for part of a break in November., I had to book UTH-BKK with a separate BKK-KBV. WE would not sell a UTH-(BKK)-KBV through-fare (presumably with bags checked UTH-KBV). Of course, I will see what they actually do when checking in.....

ryder1650

This is certainly what it seemed like.

Kremmen

How did it go? I noticed the same situation and wondered whether WE check bags through to their own flights, but I've not seen it mentioned.