Yes, it’s the shortage of A380 gates for LH & EK, they will pay for gates, unlike tightass TG....

I am sure EK is willing to pay more, yes indeed - but to be fair, a previous poster did mention that his LH flights left from bus gates the past two times, so guess LH is no less tight-... than TG :D

I know LH want to pay for the A380 gates, they are given low priority by AOT because it’s only a seasonal A380 service.

Flew Thai Smile today (7 Jan) Udon Thani to Bangkok. Horror of horrors, we had a bus gate 😱

I did have to smile to myself as we toured the apron past Concourse A, under A/B/C, along the full length of D before the u-turn back to near D2. Ah, the memories :)

awww that U-turn is epic. I’ll always remember it. Especially when you position yourself on the opposite end of the bus well knowing you’ll be the first one to get off after the U-turn :D

That u-turn has to be one of the most stupid designs ever in an airport :D

Yes, you can see the passengers "in the know" who always move straight across the bus to the opposite door, in the knowledge that is the one that will open on to the entrance!!

Is there anyway to tell if a flight will arrive at a bus gate or a regular gate? I look at the arrivals on the BKK homepage, but they have only arrival times, not gate. Is there somewhere where I can see which gates flights have arrived at? I haven't flown to BKK in awhile and usually fly TG649 from FUK. In the past it was often bus gate which makes the meet and greet fast track pretty pointless.

No, it is what it is….

Nope, it is allocated on the day. However, if arriving on the aircraft's last sector of the day, I would say the chances of a remote stand increases - this, as TG would incur added cost for either overnight parking occupying a gate, or gate arrival plus towing to remote stand plus remote stand.