BKK vs DMK: Recommendations, suggestions, hacks
 

Under current circumstances, other factors being equal, any strong recommendations of one vs the other? Any suggestions appreciated.

BKK of course
as a long time expat in Thailand I have not returned to DMK since Suvarnabhumi opened...of course for those looking for LCC for domestic and some regional connections, DMK is the place to be

Travel time to both is roughly equivalent depending of where you go.
BKK is nicer, more modern, but also bigger with a lot of walking. Pre-pandemic i found DMK often faster with shorter waits for luggage.

Very helpful... so if taking Air Asia for example to Krabi... DMK would be choice over BKK....
Smaller more manageable airport... I was thinking that might be the case.

Not sure how it is today, but when flying Air Asia in the past I would give myself an extra hour to deal with the self-service stuff. Waiting in long lines to use a kiosk to get your boarding pass and check bags sucks.

Same here - not been back since Suvarnabhumi opened. DMK is purely for LCCs which is not my cup of tea

exactly
I enjoy the fast lanes at Suvarnabhumi....not many airports in the world do have fast lanes for check in, security AND immigration (incoming and outgoing) like Suvarnabhumi does...except security for domestic flights (no fast lanes), but there I never have experienced long queues

Not many will make the choice based on the airport, rather on the destination and whether or not low-cost carriers fly there. So travelling via BKK or DMK is generally driven by ticket price and schedule. While LCC operate out of BKK, DMK is their home ground and they generally carry out a slick operation.

Maybe there's an element of nostalgia for some in DMK. It was my first arrival point in Thailand, but it's changed enormously since then.

I do not shed any tears over the old DMK when it still was BKK. no nostalgia for me at all....
the mess started with the traffic jam on the highway ahead of the exit. Hardly any parking available in the very tight underground parking. not much fast lanes available...airport too small for the crowds etc.etc.

Are the lounges in DMK open now?

I've used DMK a few times, starting with my first visit to Bangkok in 2004 (back when don mueang was still BKK). I remember seeing a bizarrely-shaped temple on short final, and the golf course on the airport grounds.

My last visit there was in late 2019; IIRC, the priority pass lounge was a major subterranean dank, and the ceilings throughout the airport are low. Part of it reminds of the horrid NAIA terminal in MNL. There were a few fast food outlets and crappy shops, but don't expect much more out of it.

OTOH, I never liked Suvarnhabumi, save for those cool people movers landside. Oh, and I suppose it also gets a point for having lots of airline lounges.

Except right now, when they are almost all closed (and the one's that are open, have bare bones services "because COVID")

Domestic flights DMK, international flights BKK.
I've never had to wait so long for immigration when returning to Thailand like I did at DMK.
Arrived on a flight from Vietnam at DMK around 3pm. Spent 2 hours waiting to clear the immigration, then had to wait 30 or so minutes for the bags to arrive.
We were flying VietJet Thailand. At BKK the longest queue that I had arriving from overseas was probably 45 minutes wait, and the bags always came fast.
As for the domestic flights. DMK was much faster comparing to BKK.
Regardless. I miss Thailand so much. Hoping to get there in October of this year.

in my experience not at all...
in BKK arrival within less than 10 minutes from plane to car w/o checked in luggage; 15-20 with
departing no queues at check in and max 5 minutes for security

Agree with this. BKK has been pretty easy for Domestic Flights, though my experience with checked luggage has been more like 25-30 minutes. Thai Smile flights.